


Fate of the Naddan

by GeistAdamant



Series: The Naddan 'Verse [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: AND DRAMA, Battle of Five Armies Fix-It, Betaed, But what's new about that, F/M, Female Bilbo, Fix-It, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Rule 63, dwalin being a bit of a twat, god help me with these tags, so. much. drama, there's some ori/dwalin hinted at if you look REALLY hard, this is canon compliant, tiny children, toward the end of the story, up to a point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-05-20 08:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 43,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5999908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeistAdamant/pseuds/GeistAdamant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was a plot bunny that evolved from a weird dream I had once in which Bilbo was a lady hobbit.  And then  it ran away from me and we ended up with this very blatant Fix-It set almost 6 years after the Battle of the Five Armies.  The basic premise was let's see how certain characters react to unexpected news and how would this change their words and actions and any attempted reparations?  Did I mention there's cute kids involved?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The first indication that any of the original Company had that Bella Baggins was still alive came by way of a trade caravan that arrived from Ered Luin during a terrible rainstorm.

 

The travelers, soaked to the bone and road weary, had made an offhand comment about how they had stopped in the Shire a few days into their journey.  One of their number, it seemed, had chanced upon some mushrooms whilst traveling, eaten them, and then gotten terribly sick as a result.  The dwarrow who told this to the guard (who then relayed it to another guard and then another guard and finally this tale found its way to the head of the King’s Guard and his most trusted advisor) said they had stopped in a place in a place in this Shire called Hobbiton and looked for aid.

 

The people seemed both used to them and a little wary of them, an odd experience, to be sure.  The caravan leader explained their trouble to the first hobbit he saw, a young lass with black curls cascading down her back.

 

“Excuse me, miss, could you perhaps tell me where I could find an apothecary hereabouts?”

 

“Are you sick?” The hobbit girl asked, peering up into the bearded face.

 

“Er… no.  But one of my companions ate some mushrooms he found and he has a… a tummy ache.” The dwarrow decided to go with that.  No need to give the child the gory details and traumatize her.

 

“Uhmmmm….” The little girl chewed on the tip of her finger as she looked up and down the market space.

 

“Thora Baggins!” The little girl, apparently named ‘Thora,’ bites down on her finger in surprise at the sudden yell as a woman with russet curls spilling over her shoulders came rushing over, a little girl with curls the same color following in her wake carrying a small basket.  “What have I told you about wandering off, young lady?”

 

“That I have the worst sense of direction of any hobbit ever including the Took side of the family?” The little girl replied, getting a snort from the other young girl bringing up the rear.

 

“I’m sorry if my daughter troubled you, sirs—“

 

“Brandr, son of Bramr, at your service,” the Dwarf interrupted with a sweeping bow.  “And worry not; the little one wasn’t bothering us.  We were just asking the little miss if she knew where the apothecary was – one of my men has taken ill after eating some wild mushrooms.”

 

“It’s just up the street that way, but I’m afraid that Missus Bracegirdle who runs it has closed for the afternoon.  But I am not unskilled with certain matters of healing; perhaps I could be of assistance?  Maybe you could start by telling me what the mushrooms your friend ate looked like?” 

  
If anyone noticed the flash in the hobbit woman’s eyes they neglected to mention it or question it.

 

“It was… uh… small.  And… it was orange and it had a funny shape to it.”

 

“Ah.” The hobbit woman said, nodding.  “I see.  I think I know what particular mushroom your friend partook of, but may I see him?  And any of these mushrooms if they remain?”

 

“Of course.  He’s not dying, mind you.  He’s just… quite uncomfortable, if you understand my meaning.”

 

“Mister Dwarf, I have two children and have travelled quite extensively – there is not much that will offend whatever delicate sensibilities you seem to think I have.  Please, lead the way.”

 

The dwarf blinked a moment, both his companions did as well.  “R-right then.  Follow me, miss.”

 

“Thora, Eglantine, come along,” Bella called, falling in with the dwarves.

 

A look back over her shoulder showed her children dawdling, and Bella knew well what the looks on their faces meant.  So she calls back in Hobbitish:  “Thora Sefa and Eglantine Aesa, let’s _go_.”

 

The Dwarrow who had approached Thora looked at Bella and smiled as if to say ‘Kids, right?’  Bella returns his smile and realizes, on the edge of Hobbiton, that she has neglected to introduce herself; an inexcusable lapse in manners for a hobbit.

 

“I beg your pardon, but I forgot to introduce myself.  Adonna Baggins, at your service.”

 

“Pleasure.  Any relation to the Baggins that went on the quest to reclaim Erebor with King Thorin a few years back?”

 

“A cousin.” Bella lies, hoping and praying to Yavanna that her children will keep their mouths shut for once in their lives at an inconvenient moment.  And they did, a small mercy.  “It’s not a problem, is it?”

  
“Nah, no skin off my nose even if you were her; I was just curious.”

 

“Are you coming from or going to the Lonely Mountain?”

 

“Going to it.  M’caravan’s not long set out from Ered Luin on a trade run to Erebor; these happen a couple times a year.  One of the lad’s had a craving for mushrooms, found some growing after we stopped t’other night and… well… you’ll be seeing for yourself in a bit.”

 

Bella periodically checked behind her to make sure the children were still at least in her line of sight.  After nearing the caravan’s camp, Bella looked behind her and found no children.

 

“Wonderful.” Bella declared to the air.  “Eglantine, make sure your sister doesn’t get lost and I want you both back by tea time!” She yells to the empty path.

 

“If you need to search for you children—“

 

“It’s perfectly alright Master Brandr.  They either heard me or not, but either way they shall be home by tea time.  Or when they get hungry.”

 

In the end, it turned out that the man had ingested a few mushrooms that looked similar to chanterelles, but were in fact slightly toxic.  A tea of red raspberry leaves and peppermint leaves and a promise to not eat any more mushrooms unless he was really sure what they were, was enough to set right the in pain dwarf.

 

And this is the story that gets off-handedly mentioned to one of Erebor’s guards – who happened to be a close friend of Prince Kili’s.  The very moment the end of his shift came, Afi was off like a rocket and looking for Kili.  He had heard enough stories of hobbits in the last five years, enough stories about one hobbit in particular.

 

He finally found Kili sitting at a table on a balcony that overlooked Dale and the Long Lake.  He was with Bofur and Nori and Ori and Bifur and they appeared to be playing some sort of card game.

 

“What’s up with you, Afi?  You look like you’ve run from the base of the mountain without stopping.”

 

“Well, I have been looking for you all over the bloody mountain.  There’s a trade caravan that’s just arrived today from Ered Luin.”

 

“Is something amiss there?”

 

“No.  But I was there when it came in.  The caravan leader tells me this story about how one of his men got sick when they were passing through the Shire; just barely started on their journey.  Fool ate mushrooms he shouldn’t have.  The leader goes into Hobbiton to get some medicine for the dumb sod and meets a hobbit woman who comes back to the camp and makes a tea that gets the dumb sod, who apparently was having unspeakable bowel movements to stop doing… that.”

 

“Please tell me you did not interrupt this card game, that I was winning, to tell me this, Afi.”

 

“No.  He said he ran into a little girl, last name of Baggins.” You would have had to been blind to miss the quick intake of breath from all five dwarves and Afi was not blind.  “Her mother comes up, situation gets explained and she introduces herself as Adonna Baggins and says she’s cousin to the hobbit who went on the quest—“

 

“Holy shit, she’s alive.  Bella’s alive!” Kili shouted, getting so excited that he grabbed Bifur up in a big hug, making the other dwarf squirm and swear at him in Khuzdul.

 

“But… we sent her letters.” Ori said softly.

 

“Afi, I love you and thank you for bringing me this tale.  Is Uncle in, do you know?”

 

Afi shook his head.  “He and the others are still attending that thing with the tree-shaggers in Mirkwood.”

 

“Perfect.  It’ll be like a reunion!”

 

“What?”

 

“Kili, m’boy, in case you haven’t noticed – we sent Bella letters for three whole years and we never got a response.  If we can make it to the Shire without your uncle and Dwalin and Balin finding out what we’re doing… The point is, we don’t know if Bella will want to see us.” Nori gently pointed out.

 

“Of course she will!  Maybe not straightaway, but I was her favorite.” And Kili’s more excited than a puppy demeanor dropped for a moment.  “Plus, I miss Bella.”

 

“We miss her too, Kili.” Bofur said, gently bopping his head against Kili’s.

 

“Your uncle and his advisors are not due back for another week.” Afi volunteered.  “That means you have time to pack provisions and such and get far enough away before it’s discovered the lot of you are gone.”

 

“Hnnn, and we’ll have to find someone to leave in charge; Fili will want to come the second he learns about this.  What about Bombur?  His wife’s with child.”

 

“We’ll ask him, but he doesn’t have to come – and I wouldn’t want him to miss his first child’s entrance into the world.”

 

In the end it was nine of the original Company (Bifur, Bofur, Ori, Nori, Dori, Fili, Kili, Oin and Gloin) who snuck out of Erebor before dawn three days after receiving the merest rumor and hope that Bella Baggins, a hobbit and dear friend thought dead, may still be alive.  They (and ‘they’ meant just Kili) left a note for their mother on her clothing chest explaining that they’ve gone off and that she’s in charge while Uncle is gone.

 

Or, as it was read out later, the note is rather less eloquent in explanation then the two princes would have their friends believe.  It was essentially: ‘Mum, you’re in charge while we’re gone.  Gone on adventure with the lads.  We’re going to the Shire – Uncle never said we couldn’t.  We’ll be back.  Don’t worry about Fili, we’re doing nothing that stupid so no need to worry.  Love Kili.  P.S. Mum, feel free not tell Uncle anything at all about where we’ve gone.  And please feed my raven for me.  Jinivere likes grapes and grain.’


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old, familiar faces from the past show up in Hobbiton.

The trip to the Shire takes only four months this time since they could stick to the roads and the enemy’s presence had been largely diminished, making road travel a good deal safer.

 

“Mama!  Mama!” Bella turns at the sound of Eglantine’s voice.  She picked up her child as Eglantine took a flying leap and settled Eglantine on her hip.

 

“Hello, you energetic little creature.  Say hello to your cousin Prim, why don’t you?”

 

“Hello, Prim!” Eglantine cried in her excited voice.

 

“Good morning to you, little miss.  What’s gotten you so excited?” Prim asked, reaching over to tweak Eglantine gently under the chin.  Eglantine’s eyes, usually a shade of ice blue, turned darker with mischief as she screwed up her little face and made strange creature noises at Prim.  Her standard reaction when called ‘little miss’ for reasons no one could figure.  But Prim laughed because it amused her and she found it ‘endearing.’

 

It had been several months since the Bella had helped out the dwarves from Ered Luin.  Her children had not mentioned it much after the first few days.  Bella had assumed that her children had regarded it simply as one of those little afternoon long adventures hobbit children have and nothing more.

 

“Me and Thora was playing—“

 

“Were,” Bella gently corrected.

 

“Me and Thora were playing,” Eglantine started over, her round little face gaining animation as she gets more excited about whatever it is she’s going to tell her mother.  “And some really, really hairy men come up the road.  They had hair _everywhere_ , mum, and – and one of them had what looked like an axe-head sticking out of his forehead and it looked really scary but really cool!”

 

Bella froze at that description.  As far as she knew, there was but one person in all of Middle Earth who was still walking around with an axe-head embedded in his forehead.

 

“Bella, are you alright?  You’ve gone white as my mum’s sheets.” Prim took a step closer, putting her hand on Bella’s arm.

 

“Eglantine, where is your sister?”

 

“With the hairy men!” Eglantine said like it was no big deal.  “They said they were dwarves and that they knew you and you guys were friends.  One of them had the bestest hat on and he came with me to find you!”

 

“By Yavanna’s spade.” Bella said to the sky.  “Prim, I fear our tea shall have to wait for another day.”

 

“Of course.  Just – One thing: Are these the same dwarves you went off on your adventure with?”

 

“Sounds like it.  Come on, Eglantine, let’s go find Bofur.”

 

“Oh, he’s right over there!” Eglantine cheerfully piped up, pointing over her mother’s shoulder.

  
_What in the name of Arda is going on?_   Bella thought to herself as she walked over to Bofur – who was buying a small bag of apples from Odo Proudfoot.

 

Bella patiently waited as Bofur completed the transaction and came walking up to her.  He’d walked up carefully and cautious-like, almost how one would approach a skittish pony.

 

“It’s been a long time, Bofur.”

 

“Aye, lass, it has.” Bofur said in the same neutral tone as Bella.

 

“Bofur,” Bella started and then stopped, momentarily unsure of how to continue and acutely aware that more than one hobbit was watching the conversation.  “It’s not that I don’t like seeing you, but… what are you doing here with Bifur?”

 

“How d’you know Bifur came along?”

 

Bella just gives him the ‘be serious’ look.  “I have a five year old, Bofur.  Your cousin has an axe-head sticking out of his forehead.  This one described it as both scary _and_ cool.”

 

Eglantine just grinned toothily at Bofur.

 

Bofur laughed.  “This one came right up to us, bold as you please.  Quite unlike her mother when first we met.”

 

“Mommy says Thora’s like her.” Eglantine offered.

 

“Speaking of your sister, shall we go collect her before the others discover how ticklish she is?” Bella said teasingly.

 

“We’re camped just outside of town; we didn’t know how you’d feel with the lot of us just showing up at Bag End, like last time.” Bofur explained.

 

Bella was grateful that one of them had the foresight to point this out to the rest of the group.  It had been five, almost six years after all.  And the way it had all ended…

 

“Thank you, Bofur.  How many are you?”

 

“Nine.  Bombur’s still in Erebor; his wife is due to have a baby any moment.  And when we left Balin and Dwalin were attending Thorin in Mirkwood.”

 

“Mirkwood?”

 

“A treaty thing.  I don’t know what it entailed only that he hates doing it with a passion and they do it every other year.  I’m just a toymaker, so I don’t have to worry myself with the intricacies.”

 

Bella snorted at that.  “’Just a toymaker’ he says.  You were far more than that, Bofur.”

 

“Bella, a question if I may?”

 

“Just one?”

 

“Well, not really but I’ll confine myself to this one:  Are your two – naddan –“

 

“I know what that means!” Eglantine said.  “It means children!”

 

“They are twins and yes, their father is who you’re thinking their father is.”

 

“Mama won’t tell me or Thora his name.  She only says that he’s still alive but that he—“

 

“Eglantine Aesa Baggins that is enough out of you.” Bella scolded, cutting her daughter off as they continued to tramp down the road.

 

“Aesa.” Bofur chuckled before his mood instantly sobered up.  “Bella, why?  Did you know when Thorin – Y’know –“

 

“I had my suspicions then.  I did not know until Gandalf and I made it to Rivendell.  Well, I knew before then, but you know what I mean.”

 

“Mahal’s hammer,” Bofur sighed.  “This complicates matters.”

 

“I don’t see how it does.”

 

“Bella, lass, children are more important to dwarves then just about anything on this planet.  You bore—You bore Thorin’s children.  _His_ children.  They are his heirs—“

 

“No.  No.  No they are not.  I’ve seen what comes of politics and thrones and lineage and kings and I will not let my children anywhere near that, Bofur.  He has Fili.  And barring horrible disaster, Kili.”

 

“Well, it’s not my place to be arguing something like that with you.  That’s between you and Thorin.  But still.  Thorin has enemies and if they should find out that he has children living outside of the protection of the mountain—“

 

“It’s been almost six years, Bofur.  Six, and nothing’s ever happened.”

 

“Doesn’t mean it won’t.”

 

“How about we go back to my house and we have a nice chat where 5 year old dwobbits who soak up information like sponges will not be able to hear.” Bella finished with a pointed look down at Eglantine, who’d nuzzled her face into her mother’s neck and fallen asleep on the walk.

 

“That’s fair.”

 

“Plus, I am going to need a glass of wine.  Or a bottle’s worth.”

 

“We missed you.” Bofur ventured as they crested the hill before the dwarrow camp site.

 

“I missed you lot, too.”

 

“We wrote you letters for three years but you didn’t write back.”

 

“I never got any letters.  _I_ never wrote because… well… I was banished, if you’ll recall.”

 

“Uncle never said we couldn’t come see you if we wanted.” Kili declared, popping up from behind a raspberry bush rather like a cork from a wine bottle, with a giggling Thora on his shoulders.  “Hello, Auntie!”

 

“Really, Kili, remind me how old you are?  And I’m not your aunt, lad.”

 

“You might as well be.” Kili insisted as he hugged Bella tightly, mindful of Eglantine asleep in her arms.  “Uncle’s going to be beside himself when he realizes you made him a father twice over.  To _girls_.  Girls are rarer than mithril.”

 

“Yes, well, as long as you didn’t leave him a note saying that you were going to the Shire and he doesn’t show up on my doorstep then we’re good as… well… never mind that.”

 

Kili set Thora down and she took off running back towards the others, screaming Ori’s name and something about a pony.

 

“Never realized how awesome it would feel to have cousins.  Especially ones like Thora and Eggs.”

 

“ _Eggs_?!  Did you just—“ Bofur and Kili wince at the pitch Bella’s voice reached in indignation.

 

“Well, ‘Eglantine’ isn’t exactly a dwarrow princess’ name is it?”

 

“No, it is a perfectly nice and pretty name for a little girl born in Eriador with a hobbit mother who intended to raise her children in the Shire!  They are dwobbits, not princesses.”

 

“Oh, dear, I feel as if I’m mucking this up.  I was so excited when Afi told us the story the trade caravan had told him.  Can we start over, please, Bella?”

 

“Yes, we can start over.  How about we all retire to Bag End for a nice meal and talk and we don’t mention the ‘p’ word?”

 

“Done,” Kili said, beaming at her.

 

Despite the unpleasant start, the evening drew on to find the nine dwarrow, Bella and her children in Bag End at the dining table consuming dinner.  It reminded Bella of that April night, what felt like a lifetime ago.  Only maybe this time it was a bit quieter.

 

When dinner was done and supper consumed, Bella put Thora and Eglantine to bed and returned to find a few of the dwarves smoking pipes in her sitting room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all Khuzdul comes from the Neo-Khuzdul dictionary and -- Mahal bless him -- the Dwarrow Scholar.
> 
> Naddan -- children


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's pipe smoking, fireside conversation, puppy piles and serious questions from the least serious member of the company. Also, I am shite at summaries, sorry.

“You could have opened the windows at least.” Bella said as she crossed to open the windows herself.

  
“Sorry.” Nori apologized for the group with a cheeky grin.

 

“Apology accepted.  Now, could you explain to me again how you figured out that I was still alive?”

 

Kili launches into the tale again, with add-ins from Nori and Bifur and Ori and Bofur.  When he reached the conclusion a short time later, Bella couldn’t help but laugh at him.

 

“That’s a mighty great leap to make, Kili.  Only you could have made such a leap.”

 

“I wanted it to be true, so it was.” Kili said with a shrug.  “I don’t know what made Gandalf choose you, but I think it’s the best decision the wizard ever made.  And now I find I have cousins!  I’ve never had cousins before, not like this.”

 

“I was going to point out Balin and Dwalin, but I see what you mean, Kili.” Bella said.

 

“Eglantine said earlier that she understood what I had said when I said ‘naddan.’”

 

“Just because I have feelings of a highly negative nature toward their father, it doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore half of my girls’ heritage.  They are half-dwarf, so I’ve been teaching them things about dwarrow culture right up there with hobbit culture.  They know bits and pieces of Khuzdul because I’ve taught it to them.”

 

“When did you know you were pregnant?” Fili asked.

 

“I started to show – really, really show – just before Gandalf and I reached Rivendell.  Winter was really setting in then, so Elrond let me stay.  A traditional hobbit pregnancy lasts for about a year and I had the children at the end of September.  Gandalf saw me and the girls back into the Shire that next spring.”

 

“That doesn’t explain when you—“

 

“The question you’re dancing around that Bofur danced around earlier is: Did I know I was pregnant when Thorin nearly throttled me and dangled me over the battlements?  And the answer is, no.  I wasn’t entirely sure, but I was suspicious that I was pregnant.  And to add on before someone else asks, I also don’t think it would have made one whit’s difference telling him I might have been pregnant; he was so angry and so gold-sick.”

 

“If it makes y’feel any better… Fili might have punched him afterward.” Nori said with a chuckle, expertly flicking a little piece of wood off into the fire.  Without looking down at it.

 

“You did?” Bella asked, hoping the surprise doesn’t show quite so much on her face.

  
“After the battle… he was driving us all up the wall behaving like some unblooded baby whenever anyone mentioned any words that sounded remotely like your name or ‘hobbit.’  So I punched him.” Fili answered, shrugging like it was no big deal.

 

“And if mum ever finds out that Uncle throttled you whilst you were pregnant – he’s done for.” The grin on Kili’s face was not entirely kind and it made Bella wonder just how much Thorin had been grating on the nerves of the company for the last several years.

 

The dwarrow and Bella talked late into the night, with a couple of the older dwarrow (namely Oin and Dori) falling asleep at the hearth.  Bella quickly offered them beds and they just as quickly accepted.

 

When she woke the next morning, Bella dwelled a moment in that fog between sleeping and waking; half-believing that the events of the previous afternoon and evening were a dream.

 

But after pulling on her patchwork dressing gown, she found Fili standing in the door to Eglantine and Thora’s bedroom.

 

“Fili?”

 

Fili turned at the sound of Bella’s voice and smiled a bit.  “I woke up and found them like this, I promise.”

 

“Found them like… what?”  Bella quickened her steps, moving around Kili’s side.  “Oh… that’s rather precious.”

 

At some point between finding bedrooms for the nine dwarrow and waking up that morning, Kili had gone into the girl’s room and was curled up on Eglantine’s bed – his feet hanging over the edge – with Thora laying on his hip with her cousin’s arm over her back and Eglantine curled up in a ball against Kili’s chest, his other arm wrapped around her.

 

“It’s a… a giant puppy pile.”

 

Bella stifled a laugh into her hand.  “Come on.  Let’s go make breakfast and leave the trio to their beauty sleep.”

 

“There’s no amount of sleep in the world that’ll make Kili a beauty.” Fili retorted as Bella gently closed the door and they move down the passage.

 

Gloin and Ori are already up and not long after Bella accepted a cup of tea from Ori, Nori wandered in (with his hair sticking up in about 30 different directions).

 

“M’rnin’.” He grunted, almost falling face first into a bowl of porridge.

 

Everyone grunted back various variations of ‘good morning’ and revived over their breakfasts.

 

“Did I hear screaming last night?” Nori asked when he was slightly more awake and coherent.

 

“Screaming?” Dori asked.

 

“Why would ye hear screaming in the Shire of all places?” Gloin wanted to know.

 

Nori shrugged.  “’m just sayin’ I heard screams last night.”

 

“Oh botheration.” Bella sighed, putting two and two together.  “That’s why there’s a puppy pile in the girl’s room.”

 

“Er… what do you mean by a ‘puppy pile’ Miss Bella?” Ori asked.

 

Fili didn’t even bother to try and hide the smile on his face as he cut into some ham fresh out of the fry pan.

 

“A cousin of mine told the girl’s a frightening tale the other day and it’s been giving Eglantine nightmares.  Sometimes she wakes up screaming from them.  Normally I do not sleep through her waking.  But I did last night and she must’ve woken Kili.  Oh, dear.”

 

“This I gotta see.” Nori said with a mischievous grin, looking far more awake as he stepped back from the table and ignored/just chose not to respond to Fili’s whispered hisses of retribution if he woke up anyone.

 

“Oin, could you pass the honey pot, please?” Bella asked, shaking her head at the… the eagerness.  It seemed to her that the two little girls would, in short order, have nine dwarrow wrapped around their little fingers.

 

The dwarf, who did not have his horn in, passed the pot only after his brother smacked him on the shoulder as he went to get some biscuits out of the oven.

 

“Sorry.” Oin apologized, a shade too loudly as Nori wandered back in.

 

“I just got sworn at.  And told to go away.  In Khuzdul.  By a pair of sleepy five year olds.” Nori said in something of a daunted tone.  “Feel like I should feel miffed but it was slightly terrifying when I got _growled_ at.”

 

“Thora is not a morning person.” Bella explained.  “And I am so very sorry that the children used foul language on you.”

 

“S’alright.” Nori said, cuffing Ori and Bofur on the back of the head (the pair were leaning on each other from the effort of trying to stifle their laughter).  “Was rather impressive actually.  Makes one wonder where they picked it up from.”

 

“Oh, stop looking at me sideways like that.  Of course they learnt it from me.  Not intentionally, of course.  It’s like I told Bofur yesterday,” Bella said, reaching for the plate containing the bacon, “my children are veritable sponges and soak up much.  Including the demonstration of every swear and curse I knew in Khuzdul after dropping a chest on my toes.”

 

“Proves one thing though,” Fili said with a chuckle.  “Not that any of us doubt it, but Thora growling at Nori definitely makes Thora her father’s daughter.”

 

“She also has his terrible sense of direction.”  This elicited more laughter from the awake dwarrow.

 

Kili and the girls stumbled into the kitchen toward the end of breakfast. Thora rubbed a tiny dimpled fist in heather gray eyes still cloudy with sleep, half-dragging her older sister along – Eglantine seemed to be trying to go back to sleep while walking.

 

“Thank you, Kili.” Bella whispered into the top of the dwarf’s head after the three of them had gotten breakfast.

 

“No problem, Auntie.” Kili replied with a warm smile.

 

“I’m not your aunt, you imp.” Bella replied, gently cuffing Kili on the head.

 

“Sleep well, brother?” Fili teased as Kili opened his mouth, maybe to reply, or to say something like what he said yesterday.

 

Kili called his brother something in Khuzdul – it involved equating various parts of his to Elvish parts, Bella hadn’t paid too much attention – and Fili returned the insult.

 

“Why did you call Kili a—“ Bella swooped in and covered her oldest daughters’ mouth with her hand.

 

“Repeat what your cousin just said, either of them, and you will be grounded young lady.”  Eglantine pouted when Bella lifted her hand away, but otherwise she desisted in repeating the insults.

 

“Children.” Gloin mumbled sagely, putting a hand out to keep Thora from falling off the bench while engaged in a full-body yawn that had her whole face – sharp chin to pert little button nose – contorted.

 

“Children, indeed.”

 

The dwarrow got reacquainted with their burglar over the next several weeks and got to know her children (and, frankly, the lot of them did rather quickly get wrapped around Thora and Eglantine’s little fingers).  It felt rather like a holiday in some ways and with nine other sets of eyes to keep on her children, it made Bella realize in some ways just how hard it was to watch and raise her children on her own these last few years.  Not that she would trade any of that for anything, of course.  But it was nice to be able to choose between baking and keeping an eye on the girls when they were having their baths.  Or reading or gardening or any other number of activities.

 

And Bella was also not blind to the other dwarrow trying to bring her around to the idea that she should tell Thorin about her children, their children.  Fili and the others, more than once, had alluded to the idea that Thorin was no longer angry with her and (if they were to be believed, and Bella had her doubts) Thorin missed her.  When she said as much to Dori, he snorted and put down the little coat he was working on for Thora on top of the fabric that had been picked out for Eglantine’s.

 

“Oh, Thorin would never come out and say it to us, that’d be too much for his pride to bear, but he does miss you, Miss Bella.  A great deal too, if I am any judge.  I know he hurt you to the quick all those years ago and I would say let him stew, but…”

 

“But what?”

 

“But it has been near six years and Thorin has yet to marry.  Many thought he would have by now.  Or at least be in the courting stages – there are dwarrow courtships that have gone on for _ages_.” Nori said, hopping down from the hill that formed the roof of the hobbit hole and seating himself in the grass at his brother’s and Bella’s feet.  “I cannot begin to describe the number of dwarrow women – and men – I have seen who are trying their damndest to catch Thorin’s eye in the hopes he’ll marry them and make them Queen or Consort Under the Mountain.  Not that any of it’d work, of course.”

 

“I wonder why that is.” Bella tried hard to keep her voice neutral.

 

Nori ignored (and rather gracefully, given his seated position) and dodged a kick and warning glare from his older brother.

 

“As if you didn’t know.” Nori said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

“Pardon?” Bella replied, purposefully keeping her tone flat and neutral.

 

Wisely, Nori did not reply.  But that almost might be because he was busy trying to get away from Dori, who was trying to smack him over the head with some of his sewing tools.

 

By the fifth week of the visit, Bella had given up correcting Kili every time he called her ‘auntie,’ it had just become so exhausting since he did it multiple times a day.  Fili had taken it up as well by this point so that added to wearing down the effect.

 

Bella began to suspect some dwarrow conspiracy of some sort and was on the cusp of asking about it when a wrench was thrown into the works – so to speak.

 

They were picnicking under the great shady boughs of the Party Tree, and Bofur – with Bifur throwing in the occasional comment – was explaining the finer points of metal toy-making to an enthralled Thora while Eglantine was playing tag with Ori and Fili and Nori.  Both Oin and Gloin were asleep, leaning against the tree and Dori was not far from it, nodding off in the warmth of the afternoon even as he worked on finishing Eglantine’s coat.

 

Kili handed her another apple turnover and Bella took it with a fond smile; the dwarf prince had already had far too many than was likely to be good for him, not that it stop him.

 

“Bella,” Kili started, speaking through a mouthful of turnover.  Bella couldn’t resist the motherly impulse to lean over and place her hand on his mouth.

 

“Chew, swallow, _then_ speak.” She instructed.

 

Kili shot her a sweet smile as he followed her instructions.  “Bella,” he began again.  He was very serious and somber, a highly unusual look on the normally very cheerful and happy dwarf.  He shot a look out the corner of his eye at Dori (who has finally nodded off, needle in hand) and takes a deep, slow breath.  “If we asked it of you… would you and Thora and Eglantine come back to Erebor with us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight cliffhanger! dun dun DUNNNNNN!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark wings, sort of dark words.

Bella looked down at her turnover, her appetite suddenly lost (a shocking thing for a hobbit).

 

“Kili, aside from the throttling and being dangled over the battlements, I was _banished_.  For the rest of my life.  And I wasn’t even allowed to say good-bye.  To anyone.  Your uncle had me escorted out – and that’s being _quite_ kind – by what felt like an entire battalion of guards.  I didn’t even know you and Fili and most everyone else had survived the battle until _after_ Gandalf and I reached Rivendell.  The only person I knew with any certainty who had survived was Oin because I could hear him yelling because he didn’t have an ear horn.  How can I go back?  How can I subject my daughters to that?  Bad enough that I traveled while pregnant and risked their lives that way, but what if –“ Bella took a moment to gather herself, blinking back the tears that threaten to come.  “I do not wish to see my children hurt the way I was, Kili.”

 

Kili blinked.  Just blinked and looked, really looked, at Bella.  Then, he took the still uneaten apple turnover from her and put it down next to his and hugged Bella.

 

“I just – I would love to be able to visit and see my cousin’s whenever I wish and not for short periods once a year.  We don’t have to talk about it further; I don’t want to make you sad Auntie Bella.”

 

“I know you meant nothing ill by asking,” Bella sniffed as Kili hugged her.

 

There was a flutter of wings in the air, making both Kili and Bella look up.  Bella saw Kili turn almost milk white as the bird came to land on his knee.  He took the scroll tied to the raven’s leg and cursed in Khuzdul as he reads it.

 

“How far out?” Kili asked the raven.

 

“They’ll be here in three days, more or less.  Also, Mister Dwalin said you were a ‘pillock.’  Don’t know what that means.  Do you have any food?” The last is addressed to Bella, who seemed a little startled that a raven was talking to her.

 

“Jinivere.  Manners.” Kili said as he stowed the note deep in his coat.

 

“Yes, manners.  Name’s Jinivere.  Have you got any food?  I’m partial to a bit of grain, cereal grain if you’ve got it, but bread grains’ll do in a pinch.  Oh!  And grapes!”

 

“I have some… blueberries.” Bella absently said, grabbing a little pot and pulling the cork out.

 

Jinivere hopped from Kili’s knee to the grass and dipped her beak into the pot.

 

“Mmm!  Delicious!  I like these!”

 

“She’s your raven, isn’t she?” Bella dryly asked Kili.

 

Kili laughed a bit awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.  “Yeahhh, she is.  I’m still working on teaching her manners.”

 

“I am not surprised.  Now, what has you swearing in Khuzdul and who precisely is coming?”

 

“Uhh, who said anything about anyone coming?”

 

“Jinivere did.” Bella said, pointing to the raven currently chomping down on a pot of blueberries.  “Kili.  Tell me.  I can surmise that Dwalin is amongst the dwarrow heading to the Shire, so you might as well tell me the rest.”

 

“Dwalin, Balin, and… Uncle.”

 

To all outward appearances, Bella appeared to take the news that her former lover was on his way – is close indeed – to her home, moderately well.  She pulled a significantly ugly face and pursed her lips, muttering about little to no warning.  On the inside, Bella was quickly spiraling towards a panic attack.  Her former lover was coming.  Her lover who got her pregnant and had no idea she had children.  His children.  Their children.

 

“Oh… well.  That’s a… surprise.  Yes… a surprise.”

 

“Bella, are you alright?  You look a bit…”

 

“Yes, yes, I’m perfectly alright.  Naturally, the news is a bit… startling.  But I am a grown up gentlehobbit and I have manners.  And I shan’t throw my skillet at your uncle’s head when I see him.”

 

“That’s good!” Kili quickly said, looking oddly relieved.

 

“I may, however, throw my butcher block at him if he makes me angry.”

 

“Eh.  He deserves it.” Kili said with a shrug.

  
“Momma, why do you look like Cousin Adalgrim when he’s had too many of Grandma Took’s apple fritters?” Eglantine asked with all the delicacy of a bull in a china shop, plopping herself into her mother’s lap.

 

“No reason, darling.” Bella said, burying her face into her daughter’s neck to blow a raspberry, making the little girl giggle and laugh.

 

“Me next!  Me next!” Thora cried, apple round cheeks shining from her play as the dwarrow all came trickling back over.

 

“Alright, alright, you imp.” Bella said, catching her youngest daughter around the waist and tickling her ferociously.

 

“We heard the flying hat and came to see what was going on.” Bofur said.

 

“That’s rich coming from a man who looks like he shoved a cooked turkey on his head!” Jinivere groused, hopping up onto Ori’s shoulder to glare at Bofur.

 

“So, brother, what bad news did Jinivere bring?” Fili asked, flopping down on the grass next to his brother.

 

“Uncle is coming.” Kili said without preamble.

 

And to a man, every dwarrow swiveled their heads to Bella and the children.

 

“What do you want us to do, Bella?” Bofur asked.

 

“To discuss this later,” Bella said, glancing pointedly at her two children.  Bifur signed something in Iglishmek to his cousin.

 

“Quite so, Bifur, quite so.  T’wouldn’t do to discuss such things around such keen ears.”

 

“Well, it’s about time for tea, shall we go home and whip up something tasty?” Bella asked her children, who had been watching the preceding with too great a level of interest.

 

“Can we have apple and quince pie?  Please momma?” Eglantine begged, doing her very best cow eyes.

 

“Yes, momma, may we please please please have pie at tea?”

 

“I’ll see what I can do.  But I make no promises.  Best wake the others – wouldn’t do to leave them out here to sleep while we went to tea.”

 

“No, ‘specially not at their age.” Nori snickered, dodging Ori as he did his level best to smack his brother for that rude comment.

 

Dori, Oin, and Gloin were duly roused from their naps and the party trooped back to Bag End.  Thora demanded to be carried on her mother’s shoulders – a habit she hadn’t indulged in some time – so Eglantine asked Bofur to carry her on his shoulders; she stole his hat the first possible chance she had.  It was a rather sweet picture truth be told.

 

On the short walk back to Bag End, Bella seemed to be her normal self.  She exchanged a word or two with a neighbor they happened across, there was a slightly too long conversation with her gardener about her sweet peas and some other of her spring vegetables that would be ready for picking soon.

 

“Fiiiiinally, I never thought that would end.” Fili moaned as Bofur opened the little gate and they trudged up the garden path.

 

“Just wait until you try my spring vegetable soup.  Served with a side of warm bread fresh from the oven and a mug of September’s ale.”

 

“I don’t like green food.” Ori mournfully intoned, with Kili laughing at the expression on his face.

 

“You’ve never tried my soup.” Bella confidently declared.

 

Tea was made, Eglantine and Thora were ecstatic that they get their apple and quince pie.  Both girls happily took extra large pieces as bribes to go to their room and stay there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little nod to that one scene that made me smile from the first Hobbit movie. :) And editing on the 12 chapters already written has been completed so I'll now be able to fully focus on finishing out this story. And I cannot express how much I love and appreciate the comments and kudos and bookmarks everyone's been leaving on this story!!!!!!


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lads and Bella hammer details out about things and certain minor shenanigans involving clothes ensue.

“So, down to business.  The first thing we want you to know, Bella, is that whatever you decide we are behind you one hundred percent.  You want us to send Thorin out with a flea in his ear and not see him, we will take care of it.  If you want us to keep Dwalin distracted while you beat Thorin with something in this very kitchen, we will do that, too.” Bofur said.  “Our only regret is that we were unable to stand behind you when we should have all those years ago, lass.”

  
“Bofur’s right.  You are our friend, you became a part of the Company and still are.  The king has been behaving like a fool who needs a stern talking to.  Or maybe a pan or two thrown at his head.  Either one suits me, really.” Nori said.

 

Bella takes a draught of the ale.  “You lot… You do me a great deal of honor.  I think… Here is what I wish to do.  I will pen a note to my cousins at Brandybuck Hall, asking them to watch the girls for a day or two.  I wish to gauge how Thorin will react to the girls before I introduce them, how he will react to the news that I had children.  And, of course, it goes without saying that no one says a word to him on this subject.”

 

“What d’you think we are?  As dense as the princes?” Nori said.

 

“Oi!” Fili and Kili shouted in concert, indignation ringing in their voices.

 

“Bofur, would you and Ori take Thora and Eglantine to my cousin’s?  Eglantine has a very excellent sense of direction, she knows the way.”

 

“It would be our honor.” The scribe said, getting up to bow.

 

“I’ll go pen the note now.  Hamfast’s boy should be able to run it and a reply back before supper or dinner.”

 

Bella rose from her seat and went to the study.  Pulling a fresh sheet of parchment out from the loose leaf binder they are kept in, she dipped her quill into the inkwell and began.  After writing the traditional greetings and polite inquiries, Bella sat for a minute in her chair thinking of how she would word this next part.

 

Samwise was back by supper, bearing the affirmative note that her cousin’s would be quite happy to have Thora and Eglantine for a few days.  Their little cousins would quite enjoy the visit and so on and so forth.  So, the day before the estimated arrival of Thorin, Balin and Dwalin, Thora and Eglantine were carrying their little packs, packed with clothes and toys and some ‘travel rations.’  The pair wished their mother good-bye excitedly because ‘We are going on a little adventure, momma, with Mister Bofur and Mister Ori.  It will be fun!’

 

“I know you know the way to the Brandybuck’s, Eglantine Baggins.  Be careful and look after your sister.”

 

“Of course, momma.  Thora’s my little sister, I won’t let her get lost.” Eglantine said, kissing Bella on the cheek.

 

“Momma, is everything alright?” Thora asked.

  
“Of course, darling.  Everything is perfectly alright, sweetheart.  It’s just that things are going to be a little boring around here for the next few days and I thought that you and your sister might enjoy visiting your cousins instead.”

 

Thora stared at her mother for a long moment, a look that reminded Bella of Thorin.  “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes, sweetheart.”

 

“Okay.” Thora said.

 

“This feels… wrong.”

 

“You’re nervous.  It’s understandable.” Gloin said, comfortingly patting Bella on the shoulder.

 

Two days later, Bella’s sitting in her garden, smoking a pipe and watching Dori finish up the stitching on one the cuff of a jacket when Paladin Took came running up the road.

 

“Hello, cousin Bella.” Paladin said.

 

“Hello, Paladin.  What can I do for you today?” Bella asked, tapping her pipe out and stowing it away.

 

“Cousin Fortinbras asked me to come and see you.  He asks for your presence at the Great Smials, the… the day after tomorrow.  Around lunchtime.  There’s important dwarrow come all the way from the Misty Mountains for some sort of trade thing-y; I couldn’t understand everything.  Cousin Fortinbras says you know this lot.”

 

“Just because a few years back I ran off with some dwarrow on an adventure does not mean I know them _all_.” Bella played the role of exasperated hobbit, easily though she knows full well who these ‘important dwarrow’ are.  “But tell Fortinbras I shall be at the Great Smials the day after tomorrow all the same.”

 

“Yes I will.  Bye, Miss Bella.”

 

“And so it begins.” Fili said.

 

“I half-expected them yesterday.” Bella remarked, rising and tucking away her pipe.  “Best go find something that looks fairly nice, I suppose.  Though why I am needed at such a talk I’m sure I do not know.”

 

“I think I do.” Kili muttered in an aside to his older brother.

 

“Oh, we all know why, you rock head.” Fili said dismissively, swatting at his brother.

 

Bella stood in front of her closet, hands on her waist and lips pursed tightly in thought.  _What in the name of Yavanna_ _’_ _s garden am I going to wear to this bloody meeting?_

 

A dress, folded up and tucked away on a shelf that used to hold her walking trousers, caught Bella’s eye.  Bella picked it up, moving to stand in front of the looking glass that hung in the door of her wardrobe, holding it up against her.  She realizes why she hadn’t considered this dress before.  It was blue.  Specifically, it was the shade of blue known around the area of Dale and Erebor as ‘Durin blue.’

 

“Uh-uh.  I think not.” Bella gulped, resolutely folding the dress back up and putting it away.  She would just have to find a nice vest or waistcoat, shirt and skirt to wear instead.

 

Bella had settled on a skirt that was an earthy shade of green, a white shirt with a pretty trim of embroidered flowers that had been a nameday present from Prim, and a russet-red little waistcoat.  Laying the things out so she’d remember to iron them in the morning, Bella headed back outside, where the dwarrow were still sitting in her garden.  Or, so she thought, they had all been sitting outside.

 

“Where are the two impish princes?” Bella asked.

 

“Oh, they went inside for a bit.  Said something about finding some more apple and quince pie or something.” Gloin said dismissively.

 

“Auntie,” Fili’s voice, getting louder as it got closer, “what in the name of Mahal is this?”

 

“What are you talking abou—“ Bella said, turning and her mouth dropping open.  Fili’s holding the dress.  The blue dress.

 

“It’s a dress.” Bella said simply.

 

“I’m not as thick as my brother – I know what this is.” Fili said, shaking the dress in her face a little.  “Perhaps what I should have asked is what are you doing with a dress this shade of blue?”

 

“Sigrid gave it to me.  She said she found the fabric in some old storage room.  Gandalf was delayed a few weeks in Laketown, helping Bard out because that stupid old Master had tried to pull off some sort of coup – Sigrid made the dress then and gave it to me when we finally were able to depart.  I didn’t have the heart to turn her down.”

 

“Are you going to be wearing that tomorrow, Miss Bella?” Dori politely asked, giving the dress a critical go-over with a well-practiced eye.

 

“Er… no?”

 

“Why ever not?” Kili asked.

 

“At the very least because of the level of presumptuousness?” Bella said like it’s the most obvious thing.

 

“It was a gift from Miss Sigrid.  Granted, some of her stitching needs work, but it’s not a thing that couldn’t be fixed before tomorrow.”

 

“And I had already picked out an outfit.” Bella finished lamely.

 

“Well, if Dori can’t finish fixing any of Sigrid’s stitches that need fixing, then you can wear what you picked out.” Fili says.  “In the meantime… Oin!” He shouts at the deaf dwarf.

 

“Wha’?”

 

“I need your help with something. You too, Bifur, come on!”

 

“Where are they going?” Bella asked as Fili, Bifur and Oin disappeared down the road.

 

“Search us.” Bofur shrugged.

 

The trio didn’t come back till well after everyone else has retired for the night.  Bella heard them return because she was busy tidying the kitchen – and munching on a leftover bacon and pork pie, but that is neither here nor there.

 

“Everything alright?  You went off in rather a rush earlier.” Bella inquired as Oin and Bifur booked it to their bedrooms.

 

“Oh, yeah, everything is totally fine.” Fili says, grabbing a bun off a plate and swooping into give Bella a cheeky peck on the, well, cheek.  “G’night, Auntie Bella!”

 

They were gone very early the next morning too, only Bofur was up and saw them go.

 

“Don’t know what they’re up to, but they had a very…. Conspirator-y look.” Bofur relayed.

 

“They didn’t say anything?  Anything at all?”

 

“Nope.  When I asked, Bifur just signed this,” Bofur displays a series of quick movements that translated to something very rude in Iglishmek.

 

Bella tried to stay calm even though she knows that right at this very moment Thorin is somewhere closer than he has been in years.  That thought did not help her nerves.

 

Dori did provide a welcome distraction in that he demanded to tailor the dress to her, making her put it on and stand on a stool in her parlor while he flitted around pinning it here, tucking up a bit of the fabric and pinning it in there.

  
“Dori, you do not need to work so hard on it.  It’s just a dress—“

 

“If you’ll forgive my interruption, a dress this may be, Miss Bella, but we want you to look your best.”

 

And as Bella understood that, each of the Company was doing things in their own way to apologize for some perceived slights and not being there for her when they thought they should have been.  It was silly, and they didn’t need to, of course, but Bella knew it would be pointless to try and tell them that.  She was also getting the sense that if she tried to get the outfit that she herself had picked out, Bella would discover in short order that all her clothes had disappeared and would not reappear until after she’d put on the dress.

 

And that point was proven not twenty minutes later when Bella went into her room after Dori lets her take the dress off so he could get to work on it.

 

“WHERE, IN THE NAME OF MAHAL’S BLOODY FORGE AND HAMMER ARE MY DAMNED CLOTHES?!?!”


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denial, Denial and some walking.

“We have no idea what you’re talking about.” Nori said, his voice deceptively calm and flat.

 

“I don’t know who’s going to bloody murder you arseheads first – me or your bloody King!”

 

“Language, Miss Bella, language.” Oin said, his tone somewhat condescending.

 

“You lot of morons have hidden my bloody clothes!  I will not watch my language!”

 

But no one would tell her where her clothes had buggered off to, so she had resigned herself to wearing the Durin blue dress and hoping that Thorin wasn’t going to throw too much of a fit.

 

“How much of a fit can uncle throw?  We’ll be there with you and I have absolutely no problems spreading the story about how he threw a fit like a dwarfling.” Kili said, leaning against Bella’s door.

 

It was the day of the meeting and Bella was busy getting herself ready.  Bella took a long bath that morning and had been brushing her hair so that it fell in dry, soft curls down her back.

 

“This is your uncle.  The man has an extreme reaction to _everything_.” Bella retorted as she tied her hair back with a ribbon, temporarily, and went behind a folding changing curtain.

 

Dori bustled in not a moment later holding the dress in his arms.

 

“All finished,” He declared.  “I even had time to add some decorative stitching of my own.  I think you’ll find it quite nice.”

 

“You do do some very nice work, Dori.” Bella said as she reached an arm out to take the dress.

 

“You are very kind to say so.”

 

“This stitching on the cuffs is very pretty.  And kicks anything my cousin Lobelia could do in the arse.”

 

“Speaking of Lobelia, where is this famously horrible cousin of yours?  We heard so many horrible things about her on the journey that I kind of wanted to meet her to see if they were true.” Kili asked as Bella shrugged her way into the dress.

 

“I think she heard about the dwarrow showing up and then she probably also heard or saw that you were staying here and she has made herself scarce.  It’s been very, very pleasant.  I haven’t had to check my spoons every time I’ve come back after going out.”

 

“Check your spoons?” Kili laughed as Bella worked at trying to tie up the strings on the back.

 

“Ever since my parents died and left me Bag End – even before she got married to Otho – she’s been sneaking in here and trying to knick my silverware.  The number of times I’ve caught her at it!”

 

Kili snickered.  “Are you almost done?  We’ve got to leave soon.”

 

“Yes, just… it’s these bloody ties.  Kili, could you or Dori finish tying them for me?”

 

“I’ll do it.  Dori buggered off somewhere – probably to make sure Nori didn’t try to bunk.”

 

“Ah, good!  You’re still here.” Fili said as he walked into the room just as Kili tied off the last of the stays to Bella’s dress.

 

“Where on earth have you been?”

 

“Well, I was off making something for you to wear.  In your hair.  It’s up to you if you want to wear it or not.”

 

“Let me see it before I make up my mind.” Bella said.

 

Fili stepped toward her and lifted up the lid of the box he held in his hands.  “Oin and Bifur helped me with the finer details – I’m still trying to improve my fancier smithing skills.”

  
“Oooh, this is very nice, indeed.” Bella said.

 

Sitting in the box was a brooch of intertwining branches and leaves, studded with little red and blue chips of some kind of gemstones.

 

“It’s to hold your hair back out of your face.  I made it bifurcated – this is where I brought in Bifur his bifurcating work is _really_ good – so that you can easily clasp and unclasp it yourself if you’ve a mind.”

 

“And the stones?”

 

“Oin claims that his lack of hearing has improved his eyesight to where he can pick out the very best of anything when it comes to gemstones, metals and the like.  Plus, he’s really good at setting stuff this small.  It can get a bit tricky.  I made the settings and hammered out the leaves and made the leaves and branches look a little more realistic.”

 

“You – all three of you – have done some very good work in so little time.  I would be honored to wear it.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

“What’s this inscribed on it?” Bella asked, peering at one of the larger sections of the hair brooch.

 

“My mark, as well as Bifur’s and Oin’s.  Also declaring it a gift for my favorite aunt.”

 

“I’m your only pseudo-aunt, you overgrown imp.” Bella smiled, handing the brooch to Fili.  “Will you put it in for me?”

 

“I’d be very glad to.”

 

Fili directed Bella to the stool sitting in front of her little vanity mirror.  “I hope you don’t mind, but it works best if you braid your hair and then feed it into the clasps.

 

“Alright, I will allow it.  But I want no secret messages in my braids, you.  I remember well the certain braids done certain ways mean certain things to dwarrow.”

 

Fili’s grin hardly puts Bella at ease.  “I promise; I will not do anything other than a simple braid.”

 

Bella sat still as Fili deftly braided her hair, softly humming under his breath as he worked.

 

“That song… did you learn that from Sigrid?”

 

“Yeah.  I heard her singing it some holiday event last year – celebrating human midsummer, I think.  It’s a nice song.” Fili explained, deftly pulling the braids into the hair brooch and securing it in place.  “And there, you’re all done.”

 

“You braid very nicely.”

 

“I had lots of practice with Kili when we were little and growing up; he’s atrocious at braiding.”

 

“Is it safe to enter?” Oin yelled out in the hall.

 

“Of course it is, you prat, or I wouldn’t be in here.” Fili yelled back, opening the door.

 

“Bifur just finished up the polish on the necklace.”

 

“You made me a necklace, too?  Oh, guys, really—“

 

“We owe you, lass.  Bard told us ages ago that you traded away your share of the treasure to try and save us, along with the Arkenstone.  And if it were not for you, none of us would have survived that battle.  And we know that hobbits do not have much love or much need of fine things, but we wished to make you this as a small, meagre way of expressing our thanks to you for all that you did on that quest.”

 

Oin’s little speech served part of its intended purpose and Bella sat there and let Oin put the necklace on her.  Bella knew full well that if the dwarrow had their way she’d likely be dripping gems and precious metals from every inch of her clothing and her person and she’d like as not be completely unable to walk under the weight of all that.

 

Once the hair brooch and necklace were on, Bella quickly brushed her hair once more and then they set off.  It was a bit of a walk to the Great Smial, but it was such a lovely day that Bella did not mind.  Not to mention it would give her plenty of time to center herself and prepare for her coming face to face with Thorin.

 

They were a chattering bunch, this small company, and it was hard for Bella’s neighbors and other villagers to not notice them.

 

Bella was every inch the charming, sociable hobbit.  She smiled at other hobbits they passed on the road, laughing and trading a remark or two, but she didn’t stop for very long to speak with anyone in particular.  Even her favorite cousin, Primula Brandybuck, got only a brief ‘hello, lovely day’ sort of comment as they cut through the market square.

 

“Are you alright, Miss Bella?” Ori asked.

 

“Yes, yes, I’m perfectly alright.  A little nervous, but I suppose it’s to be expected.”

 

Bella smiled up at Kili when he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  They arrived at the Great Smial and were directed around to the backyard by Fortinbras’ wife.

 

“Fortinbras thought, it being such a fine day and all, that t’would be much better an idea to have this talk outdoors in the garden.  The refreshments will be along shortly, now that you’ve arrived, cousin.”

 

“Thank you, Lalia.” Bella said, nodding.  “I know the way.  Come on, lads.”

 

With Fili and Kili on either side of her and the rest of the dwarrow following behind in an orderly, precise fashion; it felt rather like an honor guard and felt rather a bit nicer than the last time she had been surrounded by dwarrow like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the filler chapter. I realized as I was giving it one last go over that nothing reallllllly happens in this one. So I'll be working on getting seven out today too.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stressed over meeting has arrived but doesn't go quite as planned.

Bella had known for days that Thorin was coming.  She had had days to prepare herself.  She had had days to get used to idea that she would be in the same room as him – well, the garden at that point – for the first time since before the battle.  But it still felt like a punch to the chest when they rounded the corner and her eyes landed on him.

 

 _Thorin looks good_ , her traitorous brain whispered.  There was a little more silver in his hair then the last time she had seen him, but he still looked strong and vital and as handsome as ever.

 

 _Shut up, you evil brain_. Bella whispered to herself.

 

Fili, in full view of his uncle, took Bella’s arm and looped it through his so her hand rested on the back of his wrist, patting it comfortingly.

 

“Sending a message, are we?” Bella shot out the corner of her mouth.

 

“He can glare at me as hard as he likes; I am his heir-presumptive right now, he can’t kill me.” Fili said with a smile on his face.

 

“You’re forgetting your brother.”

 

“I’d be a disastrous King Under the Mountain and we all know it.” Kili said with the world’s biggest grin, taking up Bella’s other arm.

 

“You two are such little shits.” Bella mumbled before schooling her face into a bright smile as Balin approached.

 

“Miss Bella, you are looking very well.”

 

“And you’re looking very well yourself, Mister Balin,” Bella replied, all smiles as the elder dwarf pulled her in for a tight hug.

 

“It is good to see you, my dear.  Shall we?”

 

“But of course.”

 

Fili and Kili were quick to elbow in and take Bella by the arms.

 

“Really, you two!  Remind me how old you are again?  You’re acting like two silly little dwarflings.”

 

“Anything to irritate Mister Dwalin and Irak’adad!” Kili cheerfully (and loudly) replied.

 

“Fortinbras, cousin, how are you doing?” Bella interrupted, perhaps a shade too loud, as Dwalin opens his mouth to verbally retaliate.

 

“I am doing quite well, quite well.  Thank you for agreeing to come – Paladin told me you were a bit… waspy when he relayed my message.”

 

“The lad caught me in an intemperate moment, that’s all.  I hope he doesn’t think me upset with him.”

 

“I doubt it, I doubt it,” Fortinbras said with a wave of his hand.  “Come, come, have a seat and we’ll begin!”  Fortinbras waved them towards the table that had been set up under a small cloth pavilion to keep the worst of the sun off them.

 

And sitting at Fortinbras’ left looking as grumpy as ever was Thorin Oakenshield.  Though thank the Gods, Yavanna specifically, that Bella was seated next to Kili, who was seated next to Fili, who was seated to the right of Fortinbras.  The other dwarrow found seats wherever they pleased at the table.

 

“Mistress Baggins,” Thorin greeted her coolly, aloof and distant in tone and attitude.

 

“Your Majesty,” Bella returned the greeting, equally distant and cool in tone.  “Mister Dwalin.”

 

Dwalin offered a curt, sharp nod and a grunt in greeting.  “Mistress Baggins.” He added a moment later, levelling an unholy glare at Kili, who smiled back like an innocent cherub.  Bella knew that meant he’d kicked Dwalin under the table.  That explained the momentary shaking of said piece of furniture.

 

“Now, as I understand it from the letter you sent a few months ago, there is something of a drought problem in the lands surrounding Erebor and Dale?”

 

Thorin nodded.  “Indeed.  There’s been a drought for the last several…”

 

Not for the first time since receiving the invitation to this meeting did Bella wonder _why_ she had been summoned.  She was no leader of Hobbits; that was all her cousin’s role.  And she was no farmer; her gardener Hamfast would have been far better suited to this conversation.  His knowledge of how to treat plants during a drought and what ones would fare well in drought conditions was practically encyclopedic.

 

And this meeting was specifically about structuring a trade agreement between the hobbits and dwarves of Erebor for seedlings, seeds and more mature plants that they could use that were similar to, but more resistant against the drought currently affecting the region.

 

It dragged on.  There was no polite way to put it.  This meeting did not require her presence and Bella was getting exceedingly bored and if the amount of fidgeting Kili was doing on her one side and Bofur on her other were any indication, they were getting bored too.  She couldn’t see the rest of the Company except for those sitting across from her, but she was sure a few of them were very bored too.

 

Bella was getting ready to marshal her courage and the very bravest parts of herself to interrupt Thorin and ask Fortinbras precisely why she was needed at such a meeting when an interruption provided itself.

 

“Amad!  Amad!  Amad!”

 

“Oh hell,” Bella quietly swore, stiffening in her seat.

 

“Amad??” Thorin, Dwalin and Balin echo, making Bella turn an astonishing shade of red.

 

“Eglantine, what’s the matter?” Bella called, half-rising from her chair as Eglantine ran ever closer.

 

“My nanu fell in the river when we came back to the house for Mr. Snuffles because she forgot him and now she’s sick and Cousin Prim told me to come get you and Drogo drove us in his new pony cart so now you get to ride in it cuz nanu was saying her tummy hurt and Prim told me she might start throwing up any river water she swallowed and—“

 

Rising and purposefully not looking in the direction of the dwarrow delegation (and missing the, frankly, pole-axed looks on the faces of Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin) Bella moved as fast as was seemly from the table, picking up Eglantine as she went and placed her on her hip.

 

“Momma, can I stay?  I wanna look at the bald pillock’s inky-things on his head.” And, of course, Eglantine said this in one of the loudest, most carrying voices possible.

 

Bella wanted to scold her daughter, but she also wanted to laugh very hard right now – she could just imagine the look on Dwalin’s face, being called a ‘bald pillock’ by a five-year-old was very grating, Bella imagined.  Fili and Kili, however, saw no problem with outright laughing (uproariously, in fact) in front of Dwalin.

 

“Eglantine, sweetheart, which one of your uncle’s called Mr. Dwalin that in your hearing?”

 

“Oh, it wasn’t my uncles it was Kiki and Fifi.”

 

 _THAT_ made Bella lose it, laughing her head off even as she kept moving toward the cart.

 

“Oh, by the Valar, I cannot wait to embarrass those two with those nicknames,” Bella cried, wiping tears away with one hand as she handed Eglantine to Drogo before hauling herself up into the back of the cart.

 

“What’s so amusing, cousin?”

 

“Eglantine’s nicknames for her cousins.” Bella replied, situating herself.

 

“Oh! Mama!  I forgot to tell you – Thora wants Fifi and Kiki and you at home.” Eglantine piped up.

 

“Well, then.”  Bella turned and cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting “Fifi and Kiki – your iraknana wants you, get over here!”

 

And then Dwalin was the one roaring with laughter as Fili and Kili sprinted very, very quickly toward the pony trap.

 

“Drogo, these are Fili and Kili, Thora and Eglantine’s cousins.  Fifi and Kiki this is my cousin Drogo.”

 

“At your service.” The boys said, bowing in time to Drogo.

 

“Drogo Baggins, at yours,” Drogo said slowly, so unsure and so weirded out right then but far too polite (and really, much too Baggins to say anything)

 

“We are going to kill you.” Kili promised as he swung himself up onto the pony cart.

 

“That’ll teach you to call people rude names where young ears can hear you.” Bella said, quite smug, as she ran a hand over Eglantine’s curls.

 

“I’ll have you back at Bag End within the hour, hopefully, Bella.” Drogo said before he clicked his tongue and the ponies began to move.

 

“Thank you, Drogo.  Is Prim with Thora?”

 

“Yes.  Prim and her sisters who came along are keeping an eye on her.  I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important back there.”

 

“Oh, no, no, no,” Bella said.  “Thorin should thank you, though he does not know it; I was so close to leaping over the table to smack him.”

 

“Just smack?” Fili asked with a grin.

 

“Well, I’m sure my punch would pack nowhere as much… of a wallop as yours did.  Unless I brought my mother’s cast iron skillet into the equation.  But that might make you king sooner than you’d like.”

 

“Fili’ll do fine as king; he’s boatloads more diplomatic then uncle is,” Kili snorted.

 

“Is this why you sent the girls to Brandybuck Hall?” Drogo inquired.

 

“In part.  I also wished to speak to certain people without them around.  I thought it might be a bit easier, but things change and needs must.”

 

“The battle plan rarely survives the first skirmish – Mum says that was one of dad’s favorite sayings.” Fili told Bella.  “Don’t worry about it Auntie, everything’ll turn out for the best.  And if that means one of us gets to punch Uncle Thorin for being a giant prat – so much the better.  Kili still won’t talk to him most days.”

 

“Hey, I just had a thought – we wrote you letters every week, sometimes several a week for 3 years before we gave up; we just figured you wanted to put the whole quest behind you and be left alone.  But, you don’t think…”

 

“Kili, if your uncle was the one responsible for stopping the letters – and I’ve already asked at the post office in Michel Delving and had a poke around their records and they never received so much as a receipt or order form from Erebor before this letter to Fortinbras about this talk that I still see absolutely no reason why I had to attend – then you best start planning your brother’s coronation because I will bash in your uncle’s thick head with my mother’s skillet.  And Drogo, a little faster if you please.”

 

“I can do that.” Drogo clicked his tongue and the ponies picked up their speed.

 

Drogo’s cart, when it pulled up in the lane outside Bag End, had not even come to a complete stop before Bella was swinging herself out the back and rushing through the gate up to her green door and going in.

 

“Bella?” Prim called out, poking her head out of the kitchen.

 

“Thora?”

 

“She’s sitting up in bed.  I am so sorry, cousin, I – I turned my head for only a second and then I heard the splash and the – screams and I got her out as quick as I could.  Asphodel and Amaranth are sitting with her; I came to make Thora some tea for her tummy.”

 

“Thank you, Prim.”

 

Bella headed back through the winding halls of the smial until coming to her daughters’ room.

 

“Mama!” Thora cried, holding up her arms and making grabby hands for her mother.

 

“Hello, sweetling,” Bella soothed, picking Thora up and gently settling her in her lap.  “Del, Mara, hello.”

 

“Hello, to you too, Bella.  We are very sorry to have pulled you away –“

 

“Oh, please, you did nothing of the sort.” Bella replied with a wave of her hand as Thora lets out a little whine and buried her face in her mother’s chest, Bella started rubbing her back gently, knowing there’s not much she could do.  She should just count her blessings that Thora was not any more ill or drowned.

 

There was movement at the door and then Eglantine was coming to sit next to Bella and Thora on the bed, gently petting her sister’s curls while Fili and Kili looked on from the door.

 

“Fili, Kili, this is Amaranth and Asphodel, cousins of mine.  Mara, Del, meet Fili and Kili, Thora and Egg’s cousins on their father’s side.”

 

“At your service,” The pair intoned together, pulling off the simultaneous bow too.

  
Bella could not help the eye rolling that ensued as her cousins actually giggled like little fauntlings.

 

“Oh for the love of Yavanna’s green garden – I know you two aren’t out of your tweens yet, but please, get a grip.  Or go douse yourselves under the pump.”

 

That made Asphodel & Amaranth giggle all the harder.  And Fili and Kili preened like peacocks, which certainly didn’t help the giggle situation.

 

“Oh, for the love of—“ Bella sighed.  “Everybody’s gone mad today, Thora.  Everybody.”

 

“Even Eggs?” Thora asked in a quiet voice as her sister put on this mock pouty face.

 

“No, not your sister.  Thora, can you tell mum what happened or are you gonna fall asleep instead?”

 

“I w’n f’ll ‘sleep.” Thora mumbled.

 

“Alright, dear, you go right ahead.  Mum’s not going anywhere.”

 

“Excuse me, Mister Dwarf, could you move please?”

 

Kili started a bit at Prim’s voice behind him but moved away quickly enough, muttering about hobbits and their lightness of foot.  Prim tried to not let her smirk show _too_ much as she moved into the girl’s room carrying a teapot and several cups on a tray.

 

“Ah, she’s sleeping.  Poor thing; it’s what she needs more than tea, really,” Prim observed as she began pouring the tea, looking to Fili & Kili first.  “How do you two take your tea?”

 

“Uhhhh…” Both princes uttered at the same time, utterly clueless.

  
“Just milk for them, I think, Prim.” Bella stepped in.

 

“Alright then.”  Prim deftly filled the cups, poured in some milk and serves the princes first before dolling out more cups of tea.

 

“Remember, blow gently, Eglantine.”

 

“Yes, mama.” Eglantine hummed, exaggeratedly blowing on her tea, drawing a laugh from her cousins and a smile from her mother.

 

No one spoke for a time; everyone just sat there and sipped tea.  Bella kept up a steady up and down stroke on Thora’s back as her daughter slumbered on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Irak'adad -- Uncle  
> Amad -- Mother  
> Nanu -- Sister  
> Iraknana -- Female cousin (The 'nana' part of the word according to my notes is more familiar, a colloquial way of saying sister and is likely of Blue Mountains origin)


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Baggins sticks up for a Baggins. In other words: Never underestimate a hobbit when a family member is involved.

The quiet peace was broken when voices could be heard from the direction of the front door.  Bella grimaced as she recognized Bofur’s voice rising over a baritone she would never forget.

 

“Well, that didn’t take as long as I expected.  Someone else must’ve lead them here.” Fili muttered, setting down his tea cup.  “If you ladies will excuse me.  Kili, stay with them.” He commanded as he strode out of the room, his little brother already on his feet.

 

“Remember, go for his left side; he’s shite at guarding that.” Kili called out.

 

“Well, that was… interesting language.” Asphodel remarked over her tea cup.

 

“Oh!  Apologies, Miss Asphodel.  It’s my uncle I was talking about you see—“

 

“Say no more; I understand all too well how very irritating one’s family can be,” Asphodel cut in.

 

“Mama, why do people sound so mad?”

 

“Because dwarrow do like to yell to get their point across sometimes, sweetie.  Especially when told ‘no.’  And I’m pretty sure one dwarf in particular is being told no and is not enjoying it.”

 

Kili snorted.  “There’s no way he’s coming in here without your express permission.  And even then I’d advise having a weapon ready to beat him off if he gets too irritating.”

 

“Uncle again?” Amaranth mildly asked.

 

“Yep.”

 

“Bella, a question if I may?”

 

Bella rolled her eyes.  “If the question you wish to ask is about which one of the dwarrow out front is… you know… it’s his uncle.” Bella said, nodding to Kili with her chin.  “That majestic and bloody loud moron.”  She added the ‘bloody loud moron’ bit after they heard a brief rise in voice levels.

 

“Well, blunt as ever.” Prim remarked, a twinkle in her eye.  “Though if those toads keep it up the biddies will have something to gossip about for a good long while.”

 

“Just let me hear Lobelia say one thing – one! – about this.  I’ll finally deck her.”

 

“Not like she doesn’t have a good, solid punch coming to her,” Amaranth snorted.

 

“I thought hobbits were supposed to be kind, jolly, and pacifists?” Kili asked, looking amused.

 

“You’ve never met Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.” Asphodel answered fervently.

 

“No, I haven’t.  And I was so looking forward to scaring the pee out of her, too.”

 

“I told them stories while we were traveling.  Including that one time we nicked Lobelia’s silverware.” Bella explained.

 

“Honestly, that might be why she tries to nick yours.” Asphodel said.

 

“That and it’s real silver.” Amaranth snickers.

 

It was in the space after Amaranth’s rather catty remark that Bofur appeared in the door.

 

“Uh, Bella, not that I would dream of asking under normal circumstances; but it’s a complete and total fracas out there and Fili’s having a hard time not decking his uncle – again – is there any chance you’d come out and tell Thorin to shut up or sod off?”

 

Bella sighed.  “I suppose it was only a matter of time.”

 

Carefully, she stood and pried Thora’s clinging little form loose from her body to set her gently down on her bed.

 

“Do you mind staying with the girls, cousins?”

 

“And miss this?  Not a chance.” Prim declared.

 

“We’ll stay with the girls.” Amaranth said next, patting Bella’s hand.  “I wouldn’t want to deny Prim her chance to chew out this dwarf of yours.”

 

“He’s not my dwarf.” Bella complained.  “Eglantine, stay with your sister and cousins.  If you behave I’ll let you have an extra blueberry tart at tea time.”

  
“Okay, mama.” Eglantine promised, cuddling up to Thora’s sleeping little body.

 

“Let’s get this over with.” Bella sighed, resigned.

 

“It’ll be okay, Auntie.” Kili reassured Bella, slipping his arm around her shoulders to give a gentle squeezing side hug.

 

“But… just in case.  I snagged this from the kitchen,” Bofur said with a conspiratorial wink, handing Bella a certain old skillet.

 

“How’d you pick the right one?”

 

“I went for the one that looked the oldest.  And the best.  Did your mum know any dwarves?”

 

“Well, my mum was a bit of an adventuress in her day – as much as a hobbit could be one, anyway.  I do believe once she traveled as far as a village in the foothills of Ered Luin and bought the skillet there and used it on the way back on a rather persistent animal.  Though she would never tell me what kind of animal it was, so I suspect it was a rather persistent person.”

 

“A battle tested skillet.  That’s a first.” Bofur dryly remarked, Kili huffing out a short bark of a laugh.

 

The sight that greets the three of them when they step out the door was… odd.  Fili was restraining Drogo, but not working terribly hard at it and Dwalin had been clearly knocked to the ground recently.

 

“Er… Drogo, what happened?”

 

“He sucker punched Dwalin in the mouth.” Fili said with grim glee in his voice.

  
“And what foot did Dwalin insert into his mouth this time?”

 

“OI!”

 

“Oh, do shut up, you know I’m right.” Bella snapped, not at all in the mood to entertain vanities right now.

 

“I believe it was when he called you a rude word in Khuzdul, in reference to keeping secret Eglantine and her nanu.  He saw my reaction and got to Dwalin first.”

 

Bella raised her eyebrows and pulled down her mouth in a slightly exaggerated impressed face.  “Prim, there are first aid supplies inside – you know where they are.  The bald pillock’s got a hard face; I doubt you made it through that without injury, Drogo.”

 

“Of course.  Holler if you need us.  Come on, Drogo, we shan’t be gone long.” Prim took Drogo by the hand and fairly yanked him inside, Bella’s normally quite reserved cousin showing every sign of wishing to stay behind and maybe hit Dwalin again.

 

“As for you, you bloody prick, I hope my cousin’s punch hurt,” Bella snapped in Dwalin’s direction, the hulking dwarf grimacing from where he’s half standing thanks to his brother’s assistance.  “And curiously enough, the one person who has the slimmest, tiniest right to ask me about my children has been silent.”

 

“I was… shocked.  Surprised.  The little one who came running up to you – she looks like my brother.”

 

Bella’s heart softened a bit at that.  Thorin had told her of Frerin a time or two toward the end of the journey.  His face softened and seemingly lost decades by the word, speaking of his family before Smaug came.  But she worked damn hard so said softening didn’t show on her face.

 

“Bella… why?”

 

“Why?” Bella’s laugh was bitter, hollow and without a shred of real mirth.  “I had every single reason to never tell you and I wasn’t going to.  If you’ll recall, the last time we were actually face to face it took Fili, Kili, Ori and Bofur to peel you off of me.  I didn’t actually know that any of the company had survived the battle until we reached Rivendell; my _pleas_ to be told what had happened to my friends, to two dwarrow who _almost_ became my nephews, going ignored.  The only person I knew for a fact was alive was Oin because he was bellowing at some healer for some stupid mistake.  And with your actions, with everything you did and you said and ordered after Smaug was killed – you honestly expected me to tell you that I had borne two children?  Now, as ‘fun’ as this conversation has been, I have a child who fell into the river to tend to.  Good bloody day.” Bella turned on her heel and headed back into the smial, feeling proud of herself that she didn’t slam the door.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A niggling question Bella's had since their arrival at the Great Smials is answered and a complication arises.

“So, how did it go?”

 

“I didn’t kill anyone and I didn’t slam the door?”

 

“Always good things.” Prim sagely nodded.  “Both girls are out cold, by the way – I just checked on them.  Drogo’s with my sister’s now.  That silly prat.”

 

“He was defending my honor, he’s a good cousin, a good man,” Bella said.  “And if he found… the Tookishness – no, he had the straight up bravery to punch someone Dwalin’s size… I am quite sure you won’t have to wait too long for him to propose.”

 

Primula’s shy smile was a balm to Bella, who felt so raw after a brief yet angst-ridden encounter with Thorin.

 

“I wish I’d been there to see that big one go down.” Primula admitted, stashing away the last of the first aid supplies.

 

“Prim, thank you.  For looking after Thora and for getting her out of the water.”

 

“Asphodel and Amaranth were right behind me.  But, thank you.  I’ll go and collect my sisters and Drogo and we’ll leave you to some peace and quiet.”

 

“I have a feeling with 12 dwarves on my doorstep there shan’t be any of that for some time.” Bella weakly joked.

 

A few minutes, and a hug to Drogo that made him blush, sees Bella’s cousins leaving Bag End.  She sat down on the unoccupied bed and watched her two daughters sleep, their faces peaceful.

 

Bella knew that things would happen.  Things had to be talked about.  Decisions would be reached and she could not just sit there and wish it all away just like that.  Much as she wished she could, she knew she could not just ignore Thorin because he would more than likely not give up and go back to Erebor and forget about her, knowing that there are children living in the Shire who, in a different world would have called him ‘papa.’

 

Bella sighed, and stood up; pulling the counterpane off of the bed and covering Thora and Eglantine with it.  Then curiosity got the better of her a bit – along with the desire to see if anyone had been killed on her doorstep – and she edged along the halls towards the front door.

 

“We sent ‘em off.” Oin’s voice was both grim and cheerful, which was an odd combination by any stretch.

 

Bella hoped her face didn’t betray the fact that her heart is racing a mile a minute in surprise as she turned around.

 

Oin, Ori, and Bifur were sitting at the kitchen table.  Bifur, who was the closest, rose from his seat and, with gentle hands on her shoulders lead her over to the table.  Bella sat and Ori placed a cup of tea in front of her.

 

“Thank you, Ori.”

 

“I thought you might like to have a cup, to help settle you.”

 

“It will help, I’m sure.  Wait a minute… Where are the rest of you lot?”

 

“Escorting Thorin, Balin and Dwalin to the Green Dragon.  Nori’s going to make sure that they go there and don’t try to double back, so he’ll be late.  He said not to save him tea if he’s not back by tea time.”

 

“Oh.  Alright, I suppose.  Why didn’t you all go?”

  
“Someone had to stick around and keep an eye on you and the girls.  Dori wanted to stay, but then his brother reminded him that if Dwalin pitched a fit Dori was the one person who could knock Dwalin on his arse with little effort besides Thorin.” Oin explained.

 

“Dori?  Really?”

 

“My brother mightn’t look it, but he is very strong, stronger even than Mister Dwalin.  Why do you think when we had to run so often on the quest it was Dori who carried you on his back?” Ori added as Bella grabbed a bun off a plate and started ripping it into pieces.

 

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Bella mused, taking a sip of tea.  “Oh, this is nice, Ori.”

 

Ori blushed at the praise, Oin and Bifur having a good-natured chuckle at their friend’s expense.

 

“Have you given it any thought?” Bifur signed in Iglishmek a few minutes later, Ori translating.

 

“Yes, and no.  I know things will have to be talked about and decisions will need to be reached, but I had hoped to be able to do this without one of the girls suddenly butting in.  Like today.  It has complicated matters.”

 

“Indeed, I should think it has,” Oin agreed, grabbing an apple out of a bowl nearby.  “D’you want me to have a look at Thora when she wakes?”

 

Bella nodded.  “I would like that.  She has a sore tummy from inhaling and then expectorating river water and I think she’ll be alright, regardless.  But it doesn’t hurt to make double sure.”

 

“No, it certainly does not.”

 

“What would you lot do if you were me?” Bella asked.

 

“I don’t know if we can answer that question, Bella.” Ori diplomatically replied.  “Even if the situation were not unique as this one, each one of us would have different reactions to this situation and anything similar.”

 

“The one thing I am certain of above all is that I do not wish to see my children hurt in any manner that is similar to the way I was hurt by Thorin.”

 

“ _That would never happen,_ ” Bifur’s hands were a flurry of activity as he signs.  “ _Thorin’s not lost himself to gold madness since the quest and his flesh and blood or not, would never harm a child.  It’s a crime punishable by death in dwarrow law to harm a child._ ”

 

“Such a glowing testimonial speaks well of him in the intervening years.” Bella said, a little surprised.  “Hang on, something’s been niggling me since we arrived at the Great Smials and I’ve only just realized what it is: Why is his beard still short?”

 

“Ah.  That.”

 

“Yes, that.” Bella dryly responded, lips quirking up at the corners.

 

Oin and Bifur choose that moment to practically run away to the cellar, claiming the need to locate a particular cask of wine; they wanted to drink with dinner that night, or some such reason.

 

Ori lets out a hearty sigh, taking a moment to silently curse at his companions and refill his tea cup.

 

“Dwarrow never cut their beards.  And if they do, it’s not for a happy reason.  Like if they are in mourning or convicted of a crime and sentenced to have their beard shorn.” Ori started, settling into a very teacher-like flow.  “Conversely, a dwarf can keep their beard short as a reminder to something that has shamed them until whatever this is, is reasonably resolved.  I have never asked, would never presume to ask the king, but I am quite confident that he deeply regrets what he did to you after it was revealed you had given his then enemies the Arkenstone and the way you were escorted out of Erebor and is ashamed of his actions.  Mahal knows the princes have never let him forget it.  It quite mystified Lady Dis when she arrived at Erebor as to why her sons would not even speak to Thorin for many months after the Battle of the Five Armies.”

 

“Fili and Kili would not speak to Thorin?”

 

Ori shook his head.  “No, they were so mad at him, it was almost a year and about three months after Dis’ arrival before they would speak to him.  Not counting that time Fili punched Thorin.  They both actually refused to go back into the mountain until their mother came and convinced them to return – they stayed with Bard and his family and helped to reconstruct Dale.”

 

“And if it hadn’t been for amad, we likely would still not be on speaking terms with our uncle.” Kili grimly answered, striding into the room and dropping down in a seat next to Bella, dropping his head on her shoulder.

 

“You and your brother are such imps.” Bella remarked patting Kili on the head.

 

“Ah, we might be, but as far as we’re concerned we’re giving uncle guff on any given day until we feel like he’s paid for his crimes.” Fili says, clapping his brother on the shoulder as he sat next to Bofur.

 

“I take it the king is installed in the inn then?” Oin asked as the other dwarrow trickle in.

 

“Yep.  Nori’s keeping an eye on the place for now.  Jinivere’s with him if he needs to send a message quickly.”

 

“There’s a complication, though.” Bofur grumped as he poured himself a mug of tea.

 

“What?”

 

“According to Balin, relations with Ironfists are… shall we say… tense.  A hunting party from Ered Luin that ranged beyond their normal hunting grounds saw – from a distance but they swear they didn’t see wrong – a group of Ironfists camped out amongst the ruins of Tharbad.”

 

“That’s only a few days from the Shire.” Bella stiffened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amad -- mother
> 
> And I totally thought I had used the khuzdul dictionary a lot more than I actually did. Oops.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella receives a visitor and has a dwarrow custom explained that leaves her rather...

“Aye, we looked at your map of Middle Earth when Nori got the report.  And one of your neighbors saw a dwarf matching the description of an Ironfist agitator against Thorin at the Brandywine Bridge.  It’s a safe bet to make that they are trying to discover your location, though we don’t know if they know of the girls yet.” Gloin grunted as he pointed out the ink spot on the map that represented Tharbad.

 

“They try to take my children I will kill them.” Bella snarled.

 

“Oh, we know.  We’ve already set up a guard rotation starting when Nori returns.  And to that end, Balin sent us back with message asking if it was alright with you if he came over and spoke with you tomorrow.” Bofur said as he leaned back in his seat.

 

“Just Balin?”

 

“Just Balin, he promises.” Bofur affirmed.

 

“Thorin and Dwalin will stay behind at the inn.  We made double sure on that score.” Kili said.

 

“And who’s going to go back to the Green Dragon to relay my ascent?”

 

“Not us,” Fili & Kili announced in chorus.

 

“I don’t fancy going, either.” Bofur sniffed, reaching to grab some cheese and a knife before slicing into it.

 

“Well, I suppose I can go and deliver your acquiescence to Balin’s coming, Miss Bella,” Dori finally said after all the dwarrow shiftily side-eyed one another for a few long and silent moments.  “I could always give Nori a hand if Dwalin or the king gets out of hand.”

 

Dori left a few minutes later, taking some tea things wrapped up in a towel for his brother to nibble on.

 

“You don’t have to let Balin stay long, you know.” Fili said as the others helped themselves to food.  “You don’t really have to let him in the house.”

 

“He’s always been polite and he’s not your uncle so I think I can let him into the house.  Now, if you don’t mind I’m going to check on the girls.  Oin?”

 

“I’ll be right there – just need to collect a few things.”

 

Eglantine was sitting up on Thora’s bed, playing with some of the toys Bifur had carved.  Thora was still asleep but she stirred and blinked sleepily up at her mother when Bella smoothed some hair out of her face.

 

“How do you feel, Thora?”

 

“My tummy still hurts a little.” Thora grumped.

 

“Oin will be along to have a look at you in just a moment, sweetling.”

 

That night, both girls begged to sleep in the bed with their mother and Bella – who had not allowed such a thing in more than a year – was too tired to say no, and really, the girls had been through enough that day; so she allowed them to climb into bed with her.

 

Thora was seemingly none the worse for her misadventure the next morning.  This pleased Bella, especially when Fili mentioned going fishing while “Mummy had a talk with Mister Balin,” and Thora actually seemed a little excited at the prospect of her cousin teaching her to fish.

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eagle eye on them.” Fili promised Bella as she saw them off at the door.

 

“And we might tie emergency lines around their waists and then tie them to us.” Kili grinned as he swung by Bella, carrying a box containing various kinds of bait.  Bella laughed and waved them off with warnings of not going too close to the riverbank’s edge and to mind their cousins, most of the Company going with them.

 

Nori had snuck out to parts unknown earlier, Bella thought it likely he was watching the Green Dragon.  Ori had ensconced himself in her library, reading the books on Hobbits she had found for him.  Bofur was in the library with the scribe, stretched out on the couch in there sleeping, last Bella had looked.

 

In waiting for Balin to arrive, Bella pottered around the smial, tidying up the kitchen a bit, dusting down the mantel in the parlor (that didn’t need dusting), generally trying to keep herself busy until the knock at the door came.  Bella was just about to go into the girls’ bedroom to pick up a bit in there when the knock sounded.   She headed toward the noise but heard the door open (she needed to find the oil for the hinges) and the murmur of two dwarrow speaking civilly to each other.

 

“Bella, Bella, Balin’s just arrived.” Bofur called out in his jaunty cadences.  “Where did you go?”

 

“I’m right here,” Bella waved as he walked by the hall the girl’s room is in.  “Thank you for letting Balin in; where is he?”

 

“I put him in the parlor then went to find you.  I’ll be on the couch napping; holler if you need assistance.”

 

“I will.” Bella promised, heading for her parlor.

 

Balin had his back to the door when she entered, gazing upon a painting that both the girls had worked on over the winter.

 

“The girl’s made that; they wanted something to do over the winter and I came up with the idea.”

 

“It’s very… colorful.  I’m not quite sure what it’s supposed to be, but…”

 

“To be honest, Balin, I’m not sure either.”

 

“It’s good to see you.  Again.  You rather rushed off yesterday, though I perfectly understand as to why.  A child fallen into the river certainly takes precedence over a trade meeting.  How is she?”

 

“She is well, and no worse for wear, thank you for asking.”

 

“Forgive me for being so forward, Miss Bella, but are they both…”

 

“Yes,” Bella said softly.  “They’re both Thorin’s.  They’re twins.  Eglantine is the elder by almost ten minutes.  She’s the one who came running to me yesterday.  Her younger sister… Thora… she’s the one who fell in the water.”

 

“Twins?” Balin uttered the word with amazement coloring his voice.  “And twin _girls_ at that!”

 

“Yes, I got some idea when the lads first met the girls.  I believe it was Kili who said girls were rarer than mithril.”

 

Balin chuckled.  “The prince is not wrong.  Girls are very rare, twins even more so.  I don’t think anyone in the Line of Durin has ever birthed twins.  Or at least in all the time I’ve been alive they haven’t.”

 

“Twins are not uncommon in my family.  I had a distant cousin who had quadruplets once.”

 

“Quad… ruplets?” Balin queried, breaking the word into two.  “Four babies?  At one time?”

 

“Yes.  She was a rarity, of course.  Rather the exception to the rule.  Twins are much, much more common than quadruplets.”

 

“That poor woman, having to birth four babies without pause,” Balin shivered dramatically.  “At any rate, I am fallen off track.  I was elected to come speak to you, since it was assumed that my presence in your home would be the… least upsetting to you.  And before we go any further, I would just like to apologize for my brother’s words yesterday.  I, too, regretted the way thing’s ended all those years ago and I do understand why you never told Thorin.  But on that note, I have a letter from him if you would like to read it.”

 

“I suppose I can at least do that,” Bella said, her body filling with trepidation as she took the envelope from Balin and sat in the window seat while Balin amused himself by looking about the room.

 

 _Bella,_ the letter began, in Thorin’s neat, but closely written hand.

 

_Words have never been a strong skill of mine.  If you need a thing of utility or beauty crafted or repaired – I can do that.  With much ease.  Words and speech and saying things without causing offence – you of all creatures know how I am in this, but I put pen to parchment now because it is necessary, because I must._

_Of our previous exchanges and experience, I know that simply saying ‘I am deeply sorry’ is not enough.  The damage my actions – and mine alone – wrought cannot be smoothed away by a few words.  But I am sorry.  I am sorry for what I did to you; what I said to you.  If I could do that all over, I would without hesitation.  I am sorry that I put you in a position where the only course of action left open to you was to steal the Arkenstone.  I am sorry that it was left up to you to try to find a way to protect the Company, protect my nephews.  It does not excuse me but, rather, it sickens me now to look back and realize that my gold sickness forced you to bear the burden of leadership in my place._

_I have spent much of the last several years attempting and working to make myself better.  I will not speak falsely, some days are easier than others, but I have my sister to help me stay on the path – even if I have not wished it.  It might please you to know – as it did Dis when I told her – that I destroyed the Arkenstone when I was myself again._

_I placed it in the strongest vise the smiths had and crushed it till it was naught but tiny fragments and powder.  These fragments I gathered up as best I could and tossed them back into the chasm from whence the Arkenstone had originally come.  This rock had already cost me much and now that I know how much more it cost me – I only wish I could destroy it again._

_And… I would like to say that I think I do understand why you never told me of your children.  I would not want anyone who had hurt me, as I have you, near something so precious as children.  Dwalin is, of course, annoyed, but he is loyal to a fault and was firmly put in his place about what he said (which I will not repeat) by both his brother and I.  I applaud your cousin, by the way, for hitting Dwalin hard enough to knock him down.  Such hardy, surprising creatures you halfling’s are._

_But I go off-topic, forgive me.  I do not ask your forgiveness, because I know that if I should be so lucky, I must earn it._

_I will, however, beg an indulgence of you, if I may.  I would like to meet them, your daughters.  You are under no obligation to grant my request.  Mahal knows, none would blame you if you told me to go jump in a lake.  And if I were so fortunate for you to allow me to meet them, you need not let me meet them alone if you do not wish it.  I am sure that if you yourself do not want to be in the same room as me you would have no shortage of volunteers to stand in your stead._

_It is up to you, Bella.  Whatever you decide I will abide by your decision.  I shall not pester you further.  Send an answer back with Balin, if you so wish.  If he comes back to the inn with no note… I suppose that is a response in its own fashion._

_Yours,_

_Thorin_

 

Bella read the letter through and reads it again.  She dwelled on some of the passages and tried to puzzle it all out.

 

“It took him the better part of the evening and much of the night to get that down.  The grate in his room was filled with ash from the any number of copies he felt he’d fouled up on,” Balin said quietly.

 

“He really… destroyed it?”

 

“Yes.  I promise you, he did,” Balin turned from a map of Middle Earth Bella had framed and hanging on the wall, his manner growing a bit more serious.  “There’s something I should mention, Miss Bella…” Balin broke off and poked at the fire, sending a plume of sparks up the chimney, and Bella reads a certain… tension in the lines of the elder dwarrow’s shoulders.  “Have any of the lads told you that Thorin has taken no one as Queen or Consort yet?”

 

“I have been informed yes; though I fail to see how this matters.”

 

“It matters, Miss Bella, it matters.” Balin said, his tone taking on an even graver air.  “You see, relationships amongst my people can… work out a few different ways.  There is the traditional courtship and wedding, but there’s a less… common, less traditional form of binding.  It occurs when two dwarrow choose to be together without a formal marriage ceremony.  They announce their pledge to each other in front of friends and family, most times, and once the relationship is... consummated they are considered as wed as any other couple.”

 

“So… let me see if I understand you, Balin.  Six years ago, in Laketown, Thorin and I were… _married_?”

 

“Essentially, yes.”

 

“I haven’t been Queen Under the Mountain in absentia since then, have I?  Those mutton-headed booby brains never told me that!”

 

“I rather think they didn’t because they did not wish to frighten you away from returning to the mountain.”

 

“I haven’t consented to that yet, nor did I really plan on it.”

 

“Of course not.  Thorin was nothing short of abominable to you, but I know these lads and that they would no doubt make the attempt.”  Balin said, an amused twinkle in his eye for a moment.

 

“I was banished—“

 

“By a king still in the thrall of gold sickness,” Balin waved the detail away as if it were nothing.  “But on that point: shortly after it was revealed that most of the Company had left for the Shire, Thorin did two things before we followed.  First: he revoked your banishment in a rather well written and worded declaration.  Second: he put an end to the pretensions of all dwarrow when he revealed your marriage—“

 

“He did what?!”

 

“Well, what he said was, more or less, ‘I got married six years ago, bugger off and stop trying to get into my bed.’”

 

Despite the surprise and shock of revelation after revelation, Bella can’t help but let out a laugh.

 

“You’re joking.”

 

“I wish, I was.  He also said that you left him, the implication being that the banishment was a way to soothe wounded pride.”

 

“Why would he…”

 

“Under dwarrow law you had every right to leave him after the violence he committed against you.  Doubly so because you were with child.  You also have every right to send him back to Erebor.  The ball is entirely in your court, so to speak, Miss Bella.”

 

“I… I see.  Balin, I hope you will not be offended when I say I wish to think over what you have told me today?”

 

“Not at all.  I’ve given you a great deal to think over.  I will leave you to your thinking and see myself out.  May you have a good afternoon, Bella.”

 

“I’ll send a note when I’ve done my thinking.” Bella said, almost absently.

 

“Of course.” Balin said, softly shutting the door behind him.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bella becomes lost in her thoughts and her children contemplate building a destructive device to get their mum to come out of her study...

Bella paced on the hearth, back and forth, back and forth.  She turned things over in her mind and turned them inside out and back again.  What should she do?  What does she want to do?  What will she do?

 

Of course there are a few knee-jerk reactions that immediately came to mind.  One being that she wanted to run as fast and as far as possible from Bag End.  Possibly to Rivendell.  The twins would enjoy seeing the girls, so would Lord Elrond and Arwen.

 

But that was a cowardly move, something the old Bella Baggins would have done, so Bella discarded the thought almost as soon as it occurs to her.

 

Another knee-jerk thought came when Bella thought of being in the same room as Thorin.  The terror, fear and – surprisingly – anger welled up and up until the heady cocktail of darker emotions squeezed her heart and threatened to choke her.

 

Bella clenched her eyes shut and beats back the feelings until she felt calm enough to pen them up again. Bella jumped when she saw Fili standing in the doorway watching her.

 

“I didn’t hear you come back.”

 

“Sorry,” Fili apologized with a smile.  “We got back just as Balin was leaving.  You’ve been in here so long the girls were asking Ori if he had any books with diagrams for making a battering ram.”

 

“The girls certainly do not lack for fierceness that much is certain.”

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I have been thinking my head in circles and I feel no closer to an answer.”

 

“I think if the obvious answer doesn’t immediately spring to mind…”

 

“The problem is there are a couple obvious answers,” Bella said as she resumed her pacing.  “Obvious answer one: I send Thorin away and don’t let him meet my girls.”

 

“A sound and understandable idea.”

 

“Obvious answer number two: I _do_ let Thorin meet the girls, but we stay here.”

 

“And we’ll see Kili throw Arda’s biggest tantrum with that one.”

 

“Obvious answer number three… is the one that scares me the most.”

 

“And what obvious answer is that?”

 

“I uproot… and the girls and I go back to Erebor.”

 

“I don’t think you should let him off the hook; some groveling and humbling will be good for him.  Maybe make him wait a bit, or make Thorin think you aren’t going to come back with us.  But I’m sensing there’s something else…”

 

“There are still… nights where I wake up and I can feel Thorin’s hands around my throat.”

 

“Solution: One of us is with you when you’re around uncle until you say otherwise.”

 

“That is impractical and could take ages.  Or it may never happen.”

 

“Bella… have you ever… spoken to anyone about this; about what happened?”

 

“What do you think?  This is not exactly a topic for every day conversation.  One does not simply go up to someone who already thinks me odd for living alone for many years and go, ‘Did you know my former lover tried to throttle me because I’d ‘stolen’ from him and I’m still so traumatized that I wake up six years later and it’s like I’m being throttled again and again and again?’”

 

“No, I suppose I do see your point there.” Fili admitted.

 

“I mean… He scares me, but… I still love him.  But what’s to stop the past from repeating itself?”

 

“He gave the treasury keys to Kili.  One of the smarter things he’s done recently, if you ask me; besides destroying the Arkenstone.”

 

“Yes, he told me that – Balin gave me a note from Thorin.” Bella clarified when Fili quirked his eyebrows in question.

 

“Mum was over the moon almost when uncle informed us.”

 

“How… If Thorin is to be involved in Eglantine’s and Thora’s lives how do I get past it?  How do we get past it?  By Yavanna, how am I supposed to _talk_ to Thorin?”

 

“The only way you can is by talking.  Otherwise that moment will continue to poison things between you and uncle.  It will be uncomfortable and awkward and what the two of you had is twisted and misshapen, but not broken.”

 

“How old are you again?”

 

“Eighty-seven.” Fili replied with a grin.  “I’m not even an adult yet, by dwarrow standards.  Though Kili, Ori and I are considered adults after the quest.”

 

“Well, regardless, when your day comes, I do believe you will make a fine King Under the Mountain.”

 

“That’s a long way off; uncle’s barely two hundred.”

 

“Oh, very well.  Could you please tell the girls’ I will be out soon?  I have a brief note to write.”

 

“You’re letting Thorin meet Thora and Eggs?”

 

“Not without talking to me first he’s not!”

 

“There’s my fierce auntie.  I’ll let them know you’ll be out in a moment then.”

 

Bella sat herself at her little desk.  Pulling a piece of parchment toward her, and taking up a favorite quill, she began.

 

It took a few minutes – and a few balled up pieces of parchment tossed into the grate – before Bella signed her name at the bottom.  She picked up the jar of drying powder, sprinkled some on the note and perused the note once more as the excess powder fell off.

 

_I will not begin this note with any pleasantries.  Indeed, I hardly know where to begin so perhaps I will be honest._

_I hardly believed it when you wrote that the cursed Arkenstone was no more.  I was, in fact, inclined to believe some bizarre bit of flattery or pandering to vanity on your part.  But for something Fili said earlier, and confirmed by Balin, that is what I would have believed.  Do let me say though, that that was the smartest thing you have ever done._

_As for the boon you beg… I will be perfectly frank in saying that I do not want to grant it.  I find myself repeating that I do not want my daughters marked and hurt as badly as I was.  But I am not such a monster that your pleas fell on deaf ears.  But I don’t imagine you can fault me for desiring to meet with you first before I let you anywhere near my daughters.  We have a great deal to discuss._

_To that end, a meeting on neutral ground, I think.  The Green Dragon has a private parlor for the wife of the innkeeper.  I happen to know that said wife is in Michel Delving visiting her sick mother.  The innkeeper is a distant cousin and won’t mind as long as we ask._

_I will come to the Green Dragon on the morrow, about midday, if that suits._

_Belladonna_

 

While she waited for the wax to melt, Bella quickly penned a note to the innkeeper, asking about the parlor and if she could borrow it.

 

Bella gathered up the crumpled attempts and put them amongst fresh logs in the fireplace, deciding she’d light a fire later.

 

“Ori, would you mind running these to the Green Dragon?  This one’s for the innkeeper and this one is for Thorin.”

 

“Shall I wait for answers?”

 

“With the innkeeper, yes, please.  With Thorin’s I don’t much care.”

 

“Right,” Ori nodded, taking up the letters and leaving the kitchen.

 

“How come Ori gets to go?” Kili pouted as Thora clambered into her mother’s lap.

 

“Because I know I can trust Ori not to open the note to your uncle.  Or attempt alterations to the note.”

 

“She’s got you there, lad.” Gloin chuckled.

 

“Momma?” Thora reached up and gently pulled on a section of her mother’s curls.

 

“Yes, dear one?”

 

“Wha’s going on?  Mr. Dori and Mr. Bofur wouldn’t tell us when me and Eggs—“

 

“Eglantine and I.” Bella gently corrected.

 

“Eggs and I,” Thora dutifully repeated.  “When we asked, they wouldn’t tell us.”

 

“What makes you think anything is happening?”

 

“Momma, I’m five years old.  I’m not stoopid.”

 

There’s a great deal of sudden harrumphing, coughing into fists (or the closest back).  Or, in the case of their cousins, rolling in their seats with shaking shoulders.

 

“Can you imagine her talking to Dain like that?” Fili snickered.

 

“His eyes would get all big and round and then he’d wet himself laughing!” Kili gasped.

 

“Just like you lot are, right now?” Bella deadpanned.  “Your cousins are very silly creatures, Thora.”

 

“They’re ‘moozing though.”

 

“Yes, I suppose they have their moments.  Thora, where is your sister?”

 

“With Mr. Nori and Mr. Bifur.”

 

“As long as he isn’t teaching her how to pick locks or pockets.”

 

“Nah, Bifur would never allow such a thing.  And besides – Nori’s got too much respect for you, he’d never do that,” Bofur assured Bella.

 

Thora was sufficiently distracted, thank the gods, and didn’t ask again.  Gloin spotted Ori coming up the road and roping in his brother and Nori kept both Thora and Eglantine distracted long enough for Ori to tell Thora that the innkeeper is more than happy to lend his wife’s parlor to Bella and that he’ll have a kettle ready on the fire.

 

“No going back now,” Bella spoke to her reflection the following morning.  She had made Eglantine and Thora breakfast before retreating to her room to get ready.

 

Bella brushed her hair until it shone, the process calming her somewhat.  Fastening her hair into a clip carved from a bit of rosewood, Bella rose and headed for her wardrobe.

 

“What to wear, what to wear.”

 

Bella chose an old, comfortable favorite piece; a soft sky blue dress with a border of springtime flowers about the neckline and the skirt’s edge.  Grabbing a golden brown shawl that had been a birthday gift from Prim, Bella just stopped to brush the hair on her feet one more time.

 

“Momma, you look very pretty,” Eglantine told her the moment Bella walked into the parlor.

 

“The prettiest.” Thora chimed in.

 

“Well, aren’t you two just the sweetest creatures alive,” Bella declared, giving both girls a kiss on the head.  “The first pumpkin tarts of fall are all yours.”

 

“If we tell you how pretty you look will we get pumpkin tarts too?” Kili asked, giving Bella his best puppy dog eyes.

 

Bella pretended to study Kili, chewing on her lip as she ‘thought.’  “I don’t know – Thora?  Eglantine?  What do you think?”

 

Both girls rounded on their cousin.  “Only if you tell momma she makes the bestest food.” Eglantine decided, putting on her most serious face.

 

“Done,” Kili agreed, smacking the table top with some vigor.  “Auntie Bella, I can say with iron-clad certainty that you make the best food ever.  Except for my mum’s rabbit pie.  That alright?”

 

“It’s your momma.  I’ll allow it.”

 

“Don’t be fresh, young lady.” Bella chided.

 

“Sorry, momma.”

 

“It’s alright, Eglantine,” Bella reassured.  “Anyway – give your old mum a hug.  I need to be on my way.”

 

“Where are you going?” Thora asked.

 

“Nowhere little dwobbits should worry about.  Now, behave for your cousins and uncles.”

 

Both girls lavished hugs and kisses on their mother before letting Bella out the door.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Meeting takes place. And awkwardness abounds.

The day was a beautiful one.  The sunshine was bright, but not hot and there was a light breeze that helped offset the heat as Bella walked along the well-trod dirt roads into Hobbiton proper.  She took her time walking, not wishing to seem too eager or make her neighbors too curious and begin to ask nosy sorts of awkward questions.

 

It felt half a hundred times that the ever so tempting idea to turn around and go back to her smial crossed her mind.  And every time this happens a gentle voice that sounded like her father’s reminds her that this would not go away, no matter how much she wished to ignore it.  _So go on, go forward I must._ Bella thought as she crested the last little hill before the market square and the Green Dragon.

 

When Bella stepped into the Green Dragon, she stood there for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the dimmer, smokier interior.  The mood was… about what you would expect for the middle of the day, really.  It might be a shade quieter, but Bella was fairly sure that was due to the hulking presence of Dwalin in the corner by the fire and – oh, yes, he was glaring, wasn’t he?  Bella resisted the urge to give him the rudest sign in Iglishmek that she knew and instead ignored him and headed for the stairs leading up to the innkeeper’s quarters.  She pauses only a moment when said innkeeper told her the kettle had been put on the fire a few minutes before she arrived and he has provided a tray of light snacks, should anyone feel peckish.

 

“Thank you, cousin, that’s most kind of you,” Bella answered before making her way up the stairs.  She had not asked if Thorin was already in the room, because if she had, Bella was unsure she would have been able to go up those stairs and through the door.

 

Bella’s stomach twisted itself into tighter and tighter knots and lumps with each step she ascended until she was fairly certain she’ll never be able to eat ever again.  Which would be a shame really, as the baked fish that Bofur and Bifur had made together the other night was absolutely divine and bless Bombur for teaching them the recipe and –

 

_Oh, goodness, how long have I been standing in front of the door?_

 

Before she could think too deeply into that and before her fear could freeze her in place again, Bella silently said bugger all that and opens the door and stepped into the parlor.  Thorin was there, and poking at the fire with the, well, poker.

 

Bella lets the door go, the latch rattling back into place with enough noise to announce her presence since she had apparently lost her voice.  Thorin straightened up and replaced the poker before fully turning to face Bella.

 

“Hello, Be— Mistress Baggins.  You are looking well.”

 

Instead of replying in kind, which would be the polite thing to do, Bella instead blurted out “Were you ever going to tell me after that night in Laketown that we were technically married by your people’s laws?”

 

Thorin at least had the good grace to look sheepish, casting his eyes down to the floor.  “I was… but then…”

 

“Everything went spectacularly… sazabbashmîn*?”

 

“Quite,” Thorin quickly agreed.  The silence after grew increasingly awkward and Bella was still standing by the door when the kettle began to whistle, breaking the silence.

 

“Would you like some tea?” Thorin offered, very polite and stiff.

 

“Yes, please.” Bella answered, just as polite and stiff.

 

“You can come farther into the room.” Thorin remarked over his shoulder as he took the kettle off the fire and poured the tea into two waiting cups.

 

“Oh,” Bella took a few more trepidation steeped steps into the room.  _This is going fabulously_.  She scathingly thought to herself.  _Hardly two bloody words exchanged and… hell, this is not going how I pictured it might._

 

Bella was so busy castigating herself for being a chicken and ‘the Green Lady above, Bella, you verbally dueled a dragon and told Thorin off more than once on a journey, you can bloody do this’ that Thorin had to poke her arm to get her attention.

 

“Oh!” Bella jumped.  “Yes?”

 

“Do you still take your tea with milk and no sugar?”

 

“Er... Er, yes, actually.  How did you…” Bella asked as she accepted the cup and saucer.

 

“I remembered,” Thorin said simply before quickly turning away to see to his own tea.

 

“Ah, you did,” Bella quickly put the cup of tea to her mouth to stop any further imbecilic syllables from slipping out.  And she tried to ignore the faint tinge of pink Thorin was currently carrying in the tips of his ears.

 

“Can I… take your shawl before we sit down?”

 

“Oh, no thank you, it’s a little cool today, I find,” Bella spoke, quickly sitting down in the wingback chair closest to the window.

 

Taking another fortifying sip of tea, glancing once at the tray of edibles and deciding, no, food right now was a _bad_ idea, Bella sets the cup and saucer on the little table next to her chair and settled her gaze on Thorin and wondered a little if he can hear her heart hammering in her chest.

 

“Alright, we’re both being ridiculous and acting like little fauntlings who’ve never spoken a word in their lives.  Why did I have to be at that trade meeting when it was clearly nothing to do with me?”

 

“Because I thought it might scare your cousin less if you were there.”

 

“You realize I could have told him any number of rude things.”

 

“I do.  And I would not have blamed you for them.  Or for calling Dwalin certain things when he interjected.  Bella,” Thorin paused, shifted in his chair like he was uncomfortable and sounded remarkably little like the king he was.  “I… Balin told me that you read the note I sent with him.  Dwalin thought I was a fool but he is—“

 

“Loyal to a fault.  Yes, you mentioned that in the note.”

 

“I would not ask your forgiveness because I know I have done nothing to earn it, if I were that lucky.  The things I said – the things I did… I am guilty of much, but hurting you… potentially harming the – the children… that I consider the worst of my crimes.  And believe me, once my sister finds out, there may be no force on this planet that will save my worthless hide from her wrath.”

 

“Yes, Kili mentioned something about that.”

 

“He has the right of it.  I worried about the madness that I knew ran in my blood for decades.  When Dis had Fili, I decided then that I would raise him as my heir.  I would never marry, never have children and never have to worry about them watching me fall prey to that black disease or suffer for it.”

 

“You are aware that there’s an excellent chance your grandfather and father possessing a dwarrow ring of power contributed in large part to their succumbing to the disease?” Bella pointed out.

 

“I was not, but it matters little does it not?  I succumbed so easily once the thrice-damned dragon had been slain by Bard.  The stakes run ever higher now; I have taken every precaution after coming out of that… hell.  Destroyed the stone, gave the treasury keys to a nephew who I know will tell me where to get off rather than give them up – both boys talked you up a storm to their mother – and I made Dis and Balin joint heads of the Exchequer.”

 

“The Ex-what now?”

 

“The finances.  They deal with incoming and outgoing gold and payments and things.  I haven’t worked with anything remotely gold in years.”

 

“So, how do you know if you’re free and clear of the sickness if you won’t let yourself be around gold?”

 

“I made a gold chess set about two and one-half years after you le—”

 

“Were banished,” Bella cut in.

 

“I revoked it, didn’t Balin tell you?”

 

“He did, but I’m still going to point it out that, at the time, it was lifelong banishment.  And I was also told if I was spotted within one hundred leagues of Erebor that I was dead.”

 

“I cannot express enough how sorry I am for how evilly I treated you.”

 

“Indeed,” Bella arched a brow at Thorin.  “Continue on with the tale of the chess set.”

 

“I made the board first.  Jet and mother of pearl squares set in a rare bloodwood box that also held the pieces.  The pieces I made last.  With strict instruction to Dwalin that if he thought he saw the slightest sign of the gold sickness returning I was to be locked away until I was myself again and not allowed near gold ever again.  I made the chess set without problems.  I am in control of myself again.”

 

“You understand why I ask such details.”

 

“I do.  And I would never begrudge you the right to ask them.  But I would kill myself before I would hurt a child, especially one of my blood.  Dis still hasn’t let me forget the time I almost shot Fili & Kili when they were little more than babes because I thought they were intruders.  Couldn’t hear out of my right ear for months.  Dwalin took every bloody opportunity of sneaking up on my right side and scaring the life out of me.” Thorin murmured, shaking his head at the apparently quite unpleasant memory.

 

“Yes, Kili mentioned something about your sister’s temperament when they first arrived.”

 

“Something along the lines of I’m a dead dwarf when Dis puts the pieces together about what I did?  He is not wrong.  Fili will do fine with Balin and his mother advising him.”

 

“That’s a poor joke and you know it, Thorin.”

 

Thorin grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck.  “Then I’ll start over: Bella, there is much I would do over if I could.  Much.  I would have courted you properly, for one.  Once I had more than empty words and ‘maybe’s’ to offer you.  I would – Let’s just say my amad would not necessarily have approved of the way thing’s happened.  And I should have told you about the binding.  It’s no excuse, but there had been rather a lot of alcohol floating around that night... And the way the moonlight gilded your hair, making you look like a fading away dream…” Thorin trailed off, his face reddening and Bella pretended not to notice, good breeding and manners learnt at her mother’s knee, until Thorin collected himself.

 

“I—“ Thorin cleared his throat, reaching for the cup of tea that surely must be cold by now, though Thorin didn’t seem to notice.  Or likely care.  “I would like to be granted the chance to earn back your trust and earn your forgiveness.  I know not how to even start, nor do I claim knowledge of how to go about it as your people would, but I would like to try.”

 

“How would dwarrow do it then?”

 

A little ghost of a smile played about Thorin’s lips.  “If any situation gets as bad as this – and that is rare in dwarrow culture – it’s usually long devolved into violence.  But I would do it your people’s way.”

 

“Honestly, I don’t know.  Things like what happened – they just don’t happen here, Thorin.  They just don’t.  And what about Erebor?”

 

“It will keep.  For however long it takes I would remain in the Shire and do my utmost to earn your forgiveness if you let me.  And to prove myself worthy of meeting your girls.”

 

Bella cocked an eyebrow.  “You would remain in the Shire after spending the better part of the last century and a half homeless.  You would remain in the Shire after we went on a yearlong quest across Middle Earth to reclaim said kingdom, which almost cost you your life.  Which almost cost your nephews and your friends their lives?”

 

“I think Fili and Kili and the others would approve of me doing this.” Thorin said matter-of-factly, leaning back in the chair.

 

Bella rubbed her forehead, trying to ward off the confusion and the possible oncoming headache.

 

“You are aware that Nori’s network has spotted Ironfist’s near the Shire.”

 

“I am.”

 

“What… What if I say yes and then the Ironfist’s come?”

 

“They are a problem.” Thorin admitted.  “I’ve a suggestion, if you’ll listen.”

 

“I’m listening.”

 

“I can send a note to Ered Luin and have them send their best hunters and scouts to ring the Shire and keep an eye on its borders so we may hopefully have the first warning of any Ironfist’s heading to the Shire because I do not wish to make you feel like you must make a decision under pressure.”

 

Bella nodded.  “I thank you for that.  In the immediate future…” Bella chewed on her lip and stared into the fireplace, watching the flames jump and dance.  “I will let you meet the girls.  But.  I do not want you alone with them until I say otherwise.  At least one of the Company is to be with you at all times.  Unless it’s Dwalin.  Then there has to be someone to watch Dwalin too because we both know with the way he feels toward me right now he’ll suddenly adopt your abominable sense of direction and lose himself.”

 

“My sense of direction is not ‘abominable.’” Thorin grumbled.  The grumpy effect was somewhat ruined by the big grin and eyes shining with something akin to glee.

 

“You got lost on the way to my smial.  _Twice_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sazabbashmîn - continue to club (tool) / to club (tool) excessively (again, certainly) [Energetic Mood - Doubled Medial Consonant Imperfect Form / 2nd person plural masculine familiar]. That is literally the line copied and pasted from the NKD. I used this one as a way to say 'something went cock up' because I liked the way it sounded when i said it out loud.
> 
> amad - mother


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First Visit ends and Bella learns some specifics of what has been happening in Erebor since she left.

“The roads are windy and confusing!”

 

“Just as the inside of a bloody massive mountain would be to a hobbit?” Bella delicately inquired.

  
Thorin opened his mouth, as if to speak, but then shut it again.  “You have a point,” He admitted.

 

There was a moment of playfulness; a moment that hearkened back to a simpler time (if one could call journeying through the wilds of Middle Earth ‘a simpler time,’) but then it was lost.

 

"Listen, I need... I need some time to think things through.  I know it's ridiculous to ask for time when it's the one thing we don't exactly have an abundance of... but..."

 

"It is not something you are used to, situations like these.  I understand," Thorin solemnly said.

 

"I'll... I need to go now, but I'll let you know soon when you can come by Bag End.  Good day, Thorin."

 

"Good day, Bella," Thorin softly returned the farewell as Bella left the parlor, the door clicking quietly shut behind her.

 

Bella made it down the stairs and back out into the market, pausing to take a breath to steady herself.  There was so much running and rambling and gamboling through her head -- thoughts, ideas, emotions.

 

Bella sets her feet in the direction of home without further delay, one small idea already fomenting in her mind.

 

"How did it go?" Fili inquired from the bench outside the door as Bella drew up with the gate.

 

"It went," Bella somewhat shortly replied.  "Where's your brother?"

 

"Kili?  He's in the kitchen, I believe.  What's wrong?  Did Thorin d--"

 

"Thorin was the very epitome of respectability and restraint this time around." Bella reassured Fili as she headed inside.  "I need your brother because I need his--  Kili!"

 

"Yes, auntie?" Kili asked, turning to face her.  Bella almost wished that he had not.

 

Kili's entire front was covered in flour; the wooden spoon he was holding was covered in... some concoction and Ori, who stood next to him, did not look much better.

 

"Well... I am not cleaning this up.  But, regardless, Kili, I need to borrow Jinivere."

 

"Of course, but whatever for?"

 

"Thorin proposed sending for some hunters and scouts from Ered Luin to ring the Shire, or Hobbiton at the very least, but I have a little seedling of an idea.  Thus, I need to borrow Jinivere."

 

"I'll go fetch her." Kili nodded, quickly banging most of the flour coating his front off and striding out of the kitchen.

 

"While he's fetching the raven – what were you two doing?" Bella asked Ori.

 

"Trying to make a pudding from a recipe we found of yours," Ori replied, motioning to a little card propped up against the honey jar.  "We wanted it to be a surprise.  But then things went wrong."

 

"I can tell," Bella a smidge sarcastically replied, adroitly elbowing a sniggering Fili in the ribs.

 

There was a fluttering of wings in the hallway and Jinivere came fluttering in to land lightly on Bella's shoulder.

 

"I'm all for carrying a note to wherever you need it to go!" Jinivere chirped.

 

"Would that be because Bella keeps you well supplied in blueberries and grain?" Kili snidely remarked.

 

"Now, now, you two, be nice to each other," Bella cut in, stroking a finger down the back of Jinivere's head.  "Clean this mess up while I go and write the note please."

 

Jinivere hopped from Bella's shoulder once in her study and perched on her writing desk as Bella seated herself.

 

"How fast do you need me to get the message there?" Jinivere inquired as Bella loaded up a quill with ink and started to write.

 

"As fast as you can possibly fly without doing injury to yourself." Bella tersely replied.

 

There was no more speaking; just the scritch-scratch of the quill and the occasional quiet tap tap tap of the nib of the quill against the inkwell.

 

Several dozen dwarrow might be all well and good, but there was another thing, another people that Bella could and would be bringing into this equation.

 

The other dwarrow said nothing, but watched when Bella emerged from the smial and stepped into the lane.  Jinivere, clutching the note in her beak, nodded as Bella murmured a few more words before launching herself into the air like a shot.

 

"What was that all about?" Nori asked, his eyes scanning the horizon for Jinivere's small form.

 

"I'm sending for help of my own.  Numbers cannot hurt in such an instance as this with so many unknowns.  And if Thorin does not like it... well, that's just too bad," Bella grinned, a bit evilly.

 

"Ohhhhhh," Kili grinned, leaning back from his seated position in the grass.  "I know what you've just done.  Well, done, Auntie."

 

"Thank you," Bella rejoined, even doing a sarcastic curtsy.

 

It was at dinner later as Bella was mulling over much of the confusing and confounding information she has received over the last few days.  Even as she sliced up the meat on Thora and Eglantine's plates into manageable child-size bites, she thought about it all.

 

After giving Thora and Eglantine a bath that night and putting them to bed, Bella retired to the parlor and joined those who were indulging in a pipe – noting that this time the windows of the room had been thrown open.

 

"So, can we ask how things went with Thorin today?" Bofur quietly asked as he whittled a piece of wood by the light of the fire.

 

"It started out just as awkward as you might imagine it would." Bella stated frankly.  She took a draw on the pipe before continuing.  "We did manage not to throw things at each other and we did manage to speak without arguing."

 

"That is rare indeed." Bofur agreed, chuckling as he tried to dodge the small pillow Bella took from a couch and threw at him.  Only to laugh even harder as his cousin picks it up and smacks him over the head with it.

 

"He said to me that... that he wished to do what he had to, to earn my forgiveness."

 

"As he should," Fili nodded without looking up from the book he'd picked up from the table next to Bella's reading chair.

 

"Yes, I gather that's what you all think he should be doing, but still.  He said that since we were in the Shire, we would go about things the way Shirefolk would and he would hold to my people's traditions.  I pointed out that things like what happened between us simply do not happen here.  And he explained that situations such as ours had long devolved into violence between other dwarrow.  It rather boggled my mind that he was willing to stay here when Erebor's not long reclaimed.  And after everything every single one of us went through on the journey to reclaim it."

 

If Bella's eyes lingered on the scar bisecting Kili's left eyebrow, or the knotty scar on Fili's neck just under the curve of his jaw, or the look she casts at Gloin's foot as he crossed the room, they said naught about it.

 

"He's left amad in charge, the kingdom is in capable and more than qualified hands." Kili smiled from his perch on the window seat.

 

“Tell me, how is Erebor?  Of course you’ve told me a thing or two, but you’ve never really gone into detail.”

 

"It is getting there, but it will take a good many years to restore the mountain to its former looks and beauty.  But she’ll get there and once again be an object of beauty and awe." Gloin sagely replied as he refilled his pipe.

 

"The worst of Smaug's damage – to the main walkways and staircases and supports and such – has been repaired.  The repair work has now spread out to more delicate areas or areas put lower in a list of priorities," Dori volunteered.  "And the three major market areas have been repaired and opened."

 

"'Three major market areas?'" Bella quoted.

 

"Yes, the mountain is so vast it is impossible for some residents to be able to go to, say, the market closest to the Royal Wing and get back to their own homes or jobs in a reasonable period of time," Ori quickly jumped in with this tidbit of information.

 

"That is practical, I do agree.  What about in the more immediate aftermath?"

 

"There was a lot of cleaning.  And of opening every door and window we could find.  And... a lot of gathering of our kin.  Of the ones who did not make it out in time." Dori said, his mood sombering quickly and he cast his eyes down at the floor as his mind, and no doubt many of the other's minds turned back to when they started finding the remains of their kin.

 

"I am sorry you had to endure that, but surely it's good that they've been laid to rest now in proper graves."

 

"It is a small, cold comfort," Oin agreed.  "And sorting out Smaug's accrued treasure hoard was a beastly business in addition to... other things."

 

"Other things?" Bella inquired, quick to jump on any topic to get away from the sad and somber direction the conversation was going.

 

"Smaug might have died outside of the mountain, but he left lots of... khajamu kamun behind him." Nori said with a disgusted grimace.

 

"I'm... sorry?  My khuzdul isn't that good, what did you just say?"

 

"Khajamu kamun... it's... the closest translation I can make in Common is 'gifts of a lot of dirt' and--"

 

"WE HAD TO CLEAN UP A LOT OF DRAGON SHIT, BELLA!!  PILES AND PILES, CEILING HIGH OF DRAGON SHIT!!" Nori cried, a pained and sort of very grossed out look in his eye and his face.

 

"It took MONTHS to air out the mountain.  Months!!" Ori added with exaggerated shivers.

 

"It still reeks down in the mines if y'ask me," Bofur remarked gagging a bit.

 

Bella found herself suddenly unspeakably glad that she had missed out on this particular bit of Erebor's reconstruction.

 

"I am... terribly sorry your noses went through that." She remarked.  "Apart from the markets, has other commerce restarted though?"

 

The Company jumped on a chance to move away from the traumatizing memories of cleaning up the dragon dung.  They told Bella of how they got the main gold mine reopened, the mines with some of the best veins of gemstones repaired and reopened not too long after and how, just last year, they'd uncovered a fresh vein of mithril after a miner had accidentally knocked through a thin portion of wall in the opal mine.  The Smith's Quarter had been ready to go not long after the main clean-up operation had been completed and they'd been going almost nonstop making this, that and the other when requested by the workmen – fittings, nails, locks, supports, etc.

 

Dori waxed long on how the textile industry in Erebor was finally getting back on its feet at long last and now they wouldn't have to buy so much fabric and such from the elven merchants in Dale's market.  That had led to them going around and generally abusing the elves in terms one could call ‘not so bad’ and then it got increasingly stupider and cruder until Bella had put her foot down and threatened the next dwarrow who uttered an insult in her parlor was going to meet the business end of her mother's skillet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amad -- mother
> 
> This next bit of Khuzdul is one i invented by bopping two words together to make this little phrase:  
> Khajamu Kamun -- gifts of a lot of dirt


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a filler chapter, filled with such moments as: The two members of the company who have children share a moment and talk about the trials of having young ones, some... legal matters, and there's a bit of... dressing down (verbally) outside the Green Dragon.

Bella awakened early the next morning.  Slipping her feet into her favorite old pair of slippers, Bella left her room and shuffled along the gently curving halls of her smial whilst pulling on her dressing gown.

 

No one was up yet, and that was little surprise indeed when Bella peered out her kitchen window to see the first pale pink and orange ribbons appearing in the sky.

 

Taking out a mixing bowl, Bella gathered ingredients from various corners of the kitchen and quickly whipped up some orange cranberry bread – a personal favorite.  And while that cooked away in the oven, Bella collected her pipe and tobacco from where it had been left in the parlor and she went outside to have a quiet smoke to herself.

 

"It certainly has been a crazy and hectic last few days.  Yes, it has." Bella whispered to the air as she gently packed the bowl of her pipe.  "Mother would have loved much of this."

 

Having a pipe as the sun was rising while sitting in the front garden of Bag End was something Bella had enjoyed doing most of her adult life.  She had even smoked a pipe on occasion with her mother, the two of them engaging in varied conversation from light banter to serious, somber heart to hearts.

 

How long she sat there, puffing on her pipe and watching the sun inch its way higher in the sky, Bella could not say.  But she was brought back to herself as the door to Bag End (which she had left ajar) squeaked open.

 

"You're up early," Gloin gruffly remarked, his voice still rough with sleep.

 

"Woke up and decided to have a pipe whilst the bread baked.  You're more than welcome to join me." Bella said, scooching over so the broad ginger dwarf could sit down.

 

"Don't mind if I do," Gloin accepted, getting out his own pipe.

 

The pair of them sat in silence for a while as Hobbiton slowly came awake around them.

 

"Y'know, I admire the way you carried y'rself yesterday.  Proper queenly behavior, that was, not reacting to Dwalin's less than polite greeting.  And not jumping across the table to thrash Thorin."

 

Bella snorted.  "It's still an option.  Especially once Jinivere returns."

 

Gloin nodded.  "I figured you sent the flying handbag off to the elves.  Why the elves?  And what elves?"

 

"Rivendell, of course.  And why not?  I lived in Rivendell for about a year, or close enough.  Lord Elrond's twin sons are as god-uncles to Thora and Eglantine.  And I do know he would enjoy having little ones there once more."

 

"Babies are a joy of the world, indeed.  Most of the time."

 

Bella chuckles fondly.  "Indeed.  The first time I was really, really alone with both girls I thought I was going to lose my mind."

 

Gloin nodded.  "I remember the first time my Aslaug went back to the forge after my little Gimli had been born; I was alone with the babe naught half an hour and my brother came in to check on him and ended up having to 'minister to me first!"

 

Bella sniggered into her chest at the mental image provided.  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Gloin, but..."

 

"Oh, Oin could not and would not stop laughing at me for days," Gloin said understandingly.  "It was not my finest hour by far."

 

"I can imagine," Bella nodded, taking one last puff of the pipe before putting it out, cleaning out the bowl and stowing it away.  "I have business I must attend to, Gloin.  Would you be so kind as to let the others know I'm running errands and hope to return about midday?"

 

"Of course, of course."

 

Bella left Gloin on the bench and returned to her room to hastily get dressed, stopping in her daughters' room along the way to drop gentle kisses on their foreheads.  Bella's last task before leaving was to remove the bread from the oven and leave it on the sill to cool before heading out her door and down the lane.

 

Her cousin Drogo's little smial, where he lives with his parents was her first stop.

 

"Bella?  It's so – so – soo early," Drogo sleepily remarked as he failed to stifle a yawn as Bella walked inside.

 

"Yes, I know, and I do apologize about the earliness of the hour Drogo, but I'm running and errand and I need your help with it."

 

"Of course, just... just give me a moment to get dressed and brush m'hair," Drogo yawned again, showing Bella to the breakfast table before he disappeared down the hall.

 

Bella said good morning to his parents, Ruby and Fosco, and made small talk with them while lightly picking at some hot biscuits with butter and honey drizzled on them as she waited for Drogo.

 

"So, what d'you need our Drogo for so early in the day, young Bella?"

 

Bella snorted.  "You are not that much older than I am Fosco."

 

"And you still haven't answered the question, missy."

 

Bella smiled.  "I know.  Worry not; it's nothing that'll harm Drogo.  Might make him late for elevenses, but it will not harm him."

 

Drogo reappeared in the doorway not too long after and the pair of them walked together into Hobbiton proper, Bella not revealing their destination to her cousin until they were almost there.

 

"What... What are we doing at the solicitor's office?" Drogo asked as Bella opened the door.

 

Bella deigned not to answer for the moment being, she just held the door open for her cousin and motioned with her head for Drogo to walk in.

 

The solicitor's clerk looked more than a little bleary-eyed at the moment, but still managed a tired, but warm smile.

 

"Good day, Miss Bella, Mister Drogo, what can we do for you?"

 

"Is Mister Brownlock in, Toby?"

 

"Yes, ma'am, he is.  Do you have an appointment?"

 

"Er... no.  It's a bit of sudden, but important piece of business, perhaps he might manage to squeeze us in?"

 

"I will go and ask him at once, please, have a seat," Toby broadly gestured to a bench set in front of the window and bounced off into the back of the building.

 

"Bella, what on Yavanna's green garden are we doing here?"

 

"All in good time, cousin, all in good time."

 

Toby came back within a few minutes, informing Bella that Mister Brownlock was more than happy to meet with them as he had no pressing appointments that morning.  Bella could barely say thank you to the young clerk before he's bouncing off toward some other portion of the building, saying something about tea.

 

"He's an... energetic lad," Drogo bemusedly remarked as they moved towards Mister Brownlock's office.

 

"Have a seat, make yourselves comfortable.  My clerk should be through in a matter of moments with some tea and some nibbles.  Now, Miss Bella, what can I do for you on this fine, fine morning?"

 

"Well, Mister Brownlock, the matter is really quite simple.  I've come to you so I can sign my smial over to Drogo here."

 

"You want to WHAT?!" Drogo almost shouted.  "Bella, cousin, you LIVE in Bag End!"

 

"Yes, I do at present, but the situation is as such that I am going to be leaving the Shire and, to ensure that Lobelia doesn't get her grimy, sticky paws on my home, I'm signing it over to a family member I'm actually fond of.  Which would be you."

 

"Bella, are you... are you sure you wish to do this?" Mister Brownlock asked, surveying his client over the top of his spectacles.

 

"Of course.  I am quite sure I want to do this.  I'm going to be living in a place that is hundreds and hundreds of leagues from here and to go on claiming ownership of Bag End when no one is actually living in it seems rather ridiculous to me.  Not to mention it is a family home and it needs a family living in it."

 

"There is one living in it now, I seem to recall.  Though I do understand what you are saying and what you mean.  Does this also mean you’ll be amending your will, Miss Bella?" Mister Brownlock said, already getting up to go to the wall of filing cabinets.

 

“Yes, of course.  Just along the lines of ‘I leave Bag End and its contents in perpetuity to Drogo Baggins and any children his future wife has’ and so on and so forth.”

 

“Quite, quite.”  While her solicitor was going through the filing cabinet looking for the folder of Bella's important papers that had been left with him, Drogo turned in his seat to Bella.

 

"Bella, you cannot do this.  Bag End is... it's massive and I'm just one single male hobbit."

 

Bella reached over and gave Drogo's hand a few comforting pats.  "Drogo, I am moving back to Erebor.  I want Bag End to stay within the family.  As it is, we won't be leaving for a little while yet and I imagine most of the things I wish to keep will stay for a little while yet, too; I'll send for them later on.  And I want it to go to a hobbit who I know will care for it and love it just as much as I have.  Also, forgive me if this seems too forward to you, but consider Bag End a very early wedding gift."

 

And if Drogo’s red-faced spluttering wasn’t an adorable sight, Bella thought as she headed toward her bank, she didn’t know what would be considered such.

 

The business at the bank was fairly straight forward and perfunctory.  It was mainly setting up accounts for the upkeep of Bag End and changing names on a few things from her name to Drogo’s.  It’s on the walk back to Bag End that things get mildly interesting.

 

Bella came down a side street and made to cross the market to take the slightly shorter route home – it was close to noon and she was getting a bit peckish.  She was crossing in front of the Green Dragon and thinking nothing of it when a rough burr cuts in on her thoughts.

 

“You know, you’ve got some bloody stones to do what you did.”

 

"What did you say?" Bella inquired. At first, she wasn't even sure who she was talking to, but after a quick look around she realized it was Dwalin. Of _course_ it was Dwalin.

 

"You know exactly what I said," He responded.  Bella looked crossly at him.  How dare he?  She had half a mind to – no, she was saying it.

 

"I know where your loyalties lie, and that is fine.  And when you have children, you'll learn where mine are." Bella turned to leave, but Dwalin just had to keep talking.

 

“It doesn’t excuse the fact that you kept Thorin from his children for the best part of five years,” He said, complete with glare.

 

“Are you—You say horrible things like that, and you accuse _me_ of—“ Bella felt mighty close to replicating Drogo’s reaction from the other day.

 

Dwalin took a step toward her and then jerked back like he’d been hit with a whip when someone called out his name with a certain sharpness that left no doubt the owner of said voice was angry.

 

“Ori, h—“

 

“Don’t you ‘Ori’ me in that tone when you are being so heinously and terribly rude to Miss Bella,” Ori snapped, sounding both vicious (which was odd enough to see from a dwarf as sweet and kind as Ori) and remarkably like Dori when he was mad at Nori.

 

“I could give two flying dragon turds if Thorin is your best friend, you _do not_ speak to Bella that way!  She did everything to protect her children, just as any dwarrowdam would have and she had every right – I’ll pull out the law books in Erebor’s library that prove the precedent if I have to.  You keep acting like this and you can forget about me finding any more books on tactics in the library and I’ll stop knitting you jumpers!”

 

And with Dwalin looking like he’d been struck with the business end of an enemy mace, Ori grabbed Bella’s arm and dragged her out of the marketplace without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely bs'ed the scene at the solicitor's, so I hope that came off sounding all right.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first meeting occurs under watchful eyes, though children will be children. :)

"Ori, Ori, Ori – slow down!" Bella begged as she was being towed down the lane.  "Dwalin's not following us, you can slow down!"

 

"I am very sorry, Bella," Ori apologized, letting go of Bella's arm and slowing his pace to match hers.  "I was just going to get some more nibs for my pen, and saw you and Dwalin exchanging words—"

 

"That's one way of putting it." Bella drily remarked.

 

"And I heard how terrible he was being.  He's letting his loyalty to Thorin cloud his normally very good judgment.  No one would and no one certainly does blame you for anything that happened."

 

"It was kind of you to become so ferocious and tell Dwalin off for me, Ori."

 

"Thank you, Bella, but I was only doing what any of the others would and possibly a great deal less."

 

"The remark about jumpers?"

 

Ori went a little bit pink across the apples of his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

 

"W-would you mind t-terribly not mentioning that I've made Dwalin jumpers to my brothers, please?"

 

"Of course not.  Far be it for me to awaken them to something they haven't noticed yet.  Though, allow me to congratulate you on keeping such gift giving from Dori, least of all Nori."

 

"He's not so bad when he's not being a pig-headedly stubborn oaf," Ori grumbled a bit, throwing a scowl over his shoulder in the direction of the market.

 

The pair arrived back at Bag End as lunch was being served so Bella put the confrontation outside the Green Dragon out of her head and simply got on with her day.

 

Thora and Eglantine spent the day playing in the back garden with their uncles as Bella worked on mending some of their things that needed such attentions.

 

"You waiting for the raven to return?" Nori asked as Bella scanned the skyline for the umpteenth time.

 

"Of course.  Though I'm not quite so sure when to expect Jinivere to reach her destination, much less return.  I did tell her to not injure herself."

 

"She'll listen.  She's a lot like her owner – stubborn to a fault and more than a bit foolish, but she's good as her word," Nori commented before vaulting out of Bella's apple tree and landing lightly on his feet.  "She'll get your message to where it's going.  So, where were you this morning?"

 

"I had some business to take care of, that's all.  I told Gloin I'd be back by lunch.  And here I am."

 

"So, when can we expect to see His Royal Grumpiness here?"

 

Bella shoulders slump a bit.  "I dunno,” she chewed on her lower lip; an old habit from childhood that would’ve had her mother onto her to stop. “Should probably let him see the girls at least once before we leave."

 

"Planning on going somewhere and not telling me?"

 

"Don't be silly, of course not," Bella replied.  "But I'm not going to stay here; we are all not going to stay here any longer than we need.  I'm not going to put my people – who have never seen something remotely resembling evil here – through what would happen if the Ironfist's should actually find me here."

 

Nori nodded.  "Sensible, that is.  And I quite understand.  Proper queenly behavior too, thinking of your people."

 

Bella quietly snorted.  "Yes.  And I may I say thank you to you lot for never telling me I was queen in absentia."

 

"So, Balin, told you?"

 

"Of course he did.  I called you lot names and Balin just did that... grandfather-ly thing he does about it."

 

"Don't get me wrong, we wanted you to come back but we were not going to do or say anything that might unduly influence you into not coming back.  If you'd reached the conclusion that you did not wish to return to the Mountain by other means, then fine."

 

"At the point when Balin told me, I wasn't entirely settled on the choice to return but I also wasn't dead set for certs staying in the Shire either,"  Bella paused a moment to finish off the mending on the little apron she'd been working on before picking up another item of clothing to work on.  "But... what was that phrase Fili told me his father loved to use... 'Battle plans rarely survive the first skirmish.'  He, and Vili, were not wrong then.  This is just a different battle and we must plan accordingly to keep Thora and Eglantine safe."

 

"That is the number one priority.  The Ironfist's are... they are not normal dwarrow.  Even if the other clans had issues with us the way the Ironfist's do, they still would never even consider harming a child.  Children are precious and all too rare among my people for various reasons, but the Ironfist's... I think it's from too many centuries living close to Rhun, m'self." Nori explained.  "To be quite frank, any help you send for will be welcome against such unsavory, wicked and ruthless dwarrow."

 

"What Nori's trying to say is that they make him look like an angel of the first water." Bofur piped in, flopping down in the grass next to Bella.

 

Bella slept most ill that night; the things that Nori had spoken of in regards to the Ironfist's screaming at her the moment she closed her eyes.  She got up probably half a dozen times that night just to go and check on Thora and Eglantine in their beds just to make sure her daughters' were still there.

 

And in that strange way children have of sometimes mirroring the exact opposite of their parent's moods, both Thora and Eglantine were vivacious little bundles of energy who could barely sit still to eat their breakfasts.  It takes a good deal of patience for Bella to not speak sharply to them or reprimand them for any behaviors that normally would go unchastised.

 

After breakfast both of the girls' asked if they could go fishing again.  They had enjoyed it so last time and they really want to do it again, mummy.

 

"Alright, alright." Bella cried over the twins' exuberant exclamations.  "We'll pack some food and make a picnic day of it, so you two need to go get dressed.  And brush your teeth!" Bella yelled as Eglantine and Thora ran out of the room.

 

"Is that wi—" Dori started.

 

"I am not keeping my children indoors because of a threat of dwarrow.  I will not hide them nor will I hide," Bella declared.  "And I know you lot will be bringing your weapons but please, please try to make it as discreet as possible."

 

A flurry of activity was set off after that, with Bella, Ori, Dori and Bofur working together to whip up enough food and drink for 2 dwobbits, a hobbit and several dwarrow.  But for a hobbit no task regarding food is regarded as impossible or too difficult, and with Dori and Bifur carrying one hamper of food and Bofur and Gloin the other and Ori in charge of carrying the smaller hamper filled with their drinks, this small party of friends sets out for the fishing spot that Fili & Kili had taken their little cousins too the other day.

 

Reaching a fork in the road, Bella dispatched Fili and Kili to go to the Green Dragon and invite their Uncle, Balin and Dwalin to this picnic day because "I am _not_ introducing them on the road, Kili!"

 

"Where are Fifi and Kiki going?" Eglantine asked.

 

"They are going to the Green Dragon to fetch some other dwarrow," Bella answered, hoping her vague answer would satisfy her inquisitive daughter.  She should have known better.

 

"Who are they fetching, mama?"

 

"Some... other relations.  You'll meet them shortly, dear one, don't worry about it."

 

"Yes, you'll meet them after your cousins Kiki and Fifi have given them a properly terrifying shovel talk," Bofur smirked.

 

"What's a shovel talk?" Thora inquired.

 

"I'll explain when you're older." Bella quickly said, while shooting a slight glare in Bofur's direction.

 

The dwarf just smiled at Bella and shrugged, leaving Bella to shake her head.

 

"There's going to be a lot worse than that the girls' will end up hearing in Erebor." Gloin muttered.

 

"Don't I know it.  But, while we are in the Shire I'll nip as much of it in the bud as possible."

 

Dori set the blanket on the ground under a shady tree, close but not too close, to the water's edge and Bella sets up the food while Nori and Bofur chased Thora and Eglantine around to keep the young ones occupied.

 

"And look who has arrived," Dori sniffed, indicating with his head the little hill they'd crossed to get here.

 

Bella turned her head and saw a small cluster of five dwarrow, with two walking ahead.

 

"Behave yourselves.  I know you would all looooooove to be rude to Thorin and Dwalin, but behave because of Thora and Eglantine."

 

"We'll behave, Bella, we promise," Ori swore as he tried to situate himself behind Gloin; possibly to keep himself hidden from sight, Bella thought, for long as he could.

 

"Thora!  Eglantine!  Come over here, girls!" Bella called down to the river bank.

 

Thora made it back first; eagerly shoving something into her mother's face and demanding she inspect it.  Eglantine was close on her heels, watching the interaction.

 

"Mama, look!  I caught a frog!"

 

"Oh, that's very nice, sweetheart," Bella did her very best to not grimace as she leaned back away from the frog.  "But... erm... I think the frog should be let back into the water now."

 

"Why?"

 

"Well, he doesn't look too happy, does he?  Maybe he'll thank you for putting him back in the water."

 

"Okayyyyy." Thora drawled, turning away from Bella and heading back to the river's edge, letting out a scream of laughter as Kili swooped in on her and scooped her up off her feet.

 

Bella chose not to stand as Thorin, Balin and Dwalin drew up to the blanket.

 

"A lovely day for a picnic," Balin remarked, aiming for levity and *almost* making it.

 

"Indeed it is, Balin,” Bofur cheerfully agreed.  "Biscuit?"

 

"Those were for dessert, you filcher!" Bella cried.

 

"Least I wasn't caught with my hand in the jar like some dwarrow," Bofur snidely replied with a pointed glance at Dwalin.

 

"Oh, shut it you," Dwalin snapped, crossing his arms and assuming what Bella called 'the grump' position.

 

"Bofur, stop antagonizing or no dessert.  For the rest of the month." Bella chided, giving Bofur the stern look that had always made Thora and Eglantine cave in the past.

 

"I'll be good," Bofur promised with all haste.

 

When Dwalin snickered, Bofur just grinned at him; his usual cheerful demeanor was not going to be dimmed by any sarcastic, grumpy sort whatsoever.

 

“You try snickering at a fellow dwarf when he’s had Bella’s blueberry tarts for dinner. So damn right I’m going to behave and keep my access to dessert!”

 

 

"You had better be," Bella kept the glare up for just a moment longer before turning away.

 

"Hello," Bella said carefully, keeping her voice measured and cautiously neutral.

 

"Hello," Thorin replied, just as careful.

 

"Alright!  Balin, Dwalin, there's plenty of food for everyone; help yourselves.  Try not to eat it all this time, please."  Bella rose from the blanket and took a very, very quiet Eglantine by the hand with a murmured, "It's alright, sweetheart."

 

To Thorin, she tossed a "Come with me," over her shoulder, as she and Eglantine headed for the riverbank, where Kili was with Thora pointing things out to her as Fili looked on.

 

When Bella and Eglantine drew closer to Thora and Kili, Fili reached out and tapped Kili on the shoulder and indicated with a jerk of his head the nearness of their cousin.

 

Kili turned and his expression was less than... its usual level of doofy puppy, but he got up anyway and both he and his brother backed off a few feet.  Far enough away to be respectful but close enough that if they had to charge in, it would happen in a twinkling.

 

Thora, sighting Thorin, headed straight for her mother's skirts.  Bella could not help the fond smile and the gentle hand that patted and smoothed the curls.

 

Sitting on her haunches, Bella wrapped one arm around Eglantine's waist and her other around Thora's waist.  Bella drew the girls' in a little closer while motioning for Thorin – who had stopped a good ten feet away – to come a little closer.

 

"Eglantine, Thora, I've got someone I would like for you to meet.” Bella paused for a breath.  “This is Thorin Oakenshield… your father.”

 

Thorin stared at the girls. He could see himself in them. Thora had his hair color and his chin. Eglantine had his eyes and his cheekbones.  And there definitely was the ghost of Frerin’s features in her. Both girls had a small, petite version of his nose. He hadn’t doubted that the girls were his, but to actually see so much of himself in them… He was astounded. And he had zero clue as to what to say. He knew what he wanted to say, sort of. But the words were failing him. What had Bella told the girls about him? Was it good? Or was it bad? He hoped it wasn’t bad. Should he offer to shake their hands? _Oh, Mahal, no… That’s not what father’s do,_ he thought to himself. This was going to be a lot harder than he originally thought.

 

“Aren’t you going to say something?” Bella questioned after a moment of awkward silence. Thorin blinked, looking to her and then back to the girls. He really did need to say something.

 

“H-hello,” he spoke gently. It was all he had. For now.

 

“Your nose is huge!” exclaimed Thora with awe. Bella rolled her eyes, not sure what to make of her daughter’s comment. It was true after all. Eglantine simply giggled at her sister, nodding in agreement. Kili actually fell over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. Even Fili was sniggering to himself as more laughter floated over to them.  It was just so unexpected.  But then again Thora had hardly been quiet with her observation.

 

"Sweetheart, that's not exactly something nice to say," Bella said kindly, giving Thora a gentle little nudge.

 

"But it's true, though." Thora stubbornly insisted.

 

"Yeah, it's almost as big as Cousin Adalgrim's; s'not as red though." Eglantine added.

 

Insert a thud from Kili, who had been struggling to his feet, falling back down and laughing with renewed gusto.

 

"Yavanna give me strength that you two choose _now_ to be so mouthy," Bella groaned.

 

"It's alright.  Big noses run in my family; I had an uncle who had an uncle whose nose was even bigger than mine." Thorin spoke with an almost conspiratorial tone.  "Said he could smell the purity of a vein with just one whiff."

 

"That's a load of h—" Eglantine started to say.

 

"Young lady, finish that sentence because you think it sounds cute coming from you, and you will spend the rest of the third era in your bedroom."

 

"But it sounds funny."

 

"And trust me, your uncles will be getting several earfuls from me on watching their language around you."

 

"It was uncle Nori." Thora piped up, totally throwing Nori under the cart wheels, so to speak.

 

"NORI!"

 

"I'M INNOCENT!!"

 

"If you are innocent, then I'm a fairy princess with blond hair!" Gloin bellowed.

 

"I didn't know you were secretly Thranduil!" Fili shouted to him.

 

"Oh, for the love of— really?!"

 

"Wanna come and have some lunch?" Eglantine asked Thorin directly, clearly bored of this adult affair and very much wanting her lunch.

 

"I would indeed, like some lunch," Thorin agreed.

 

"Come on, then!" Eglantine exclaimed, skipping her way back to the picnic blanket.

 

Thorin started after her with a sort of recovered – but still occasionally chuckling Kili – following him.  Thora held her mother's hand as she, Bella, and Fili brought up the rear.

 

"That went... well.  Mostly."

 

"Mmm." Bella wordlessly replied.

 

Things had indeed gone better than she had expected.  Some of the tension knot currently residing in her chest had eased away, but a great deal of it still was left and Bella hoped her nerves could hold up under the strain until she could feel and knew that they were all safe.

 

The afternoon passed rather pleasantly, all things aside.  Eglantine, always the more extroverted of the two, nattered away as lunch and dessert were consumed.  Thora warmed up as the afternoon progressed, even going so far as to show Thorin the next frog she caught before showing it to her mother.

 

It was decided to head back to Bag End when Eglantine fell asleep and made her bed on Bifur, who was braiding some wild flowers into a flower crown, stretching herself out on his back.  Thora chose to climb into her mother’s lap and fall asleep clutching her shirt, as she had done when a baby.

 

“This was good for him; he’ll be smiling like a loon all evening,” Balin said in an aside to Bella as the others picked up and cleaned up the detritus of their meal.

 

“It was a rather pleasant day all around.  The girls have quite worn themselves out,” Bella agreed while shifting Thora a little higher in her arms.

 

As a group they all start walking together up the road mostly in companionable silence, but there was a dwarf or two quietly chatting with a friend, mindful of the sleeping little girls.  Bella also noticed how even though today went quite well; the others were definitely keeping Thorin at a distance.

 

Thorin stopped at the sign post and he turned toward her, eyes lingering on Thora for a brief moment.  “Bella, I… akhmânul.”

 

“Birâkini sahkmini.” Bella replied as well as she could.

 

Thorin’s mouth quirked up in a little grin and he bid farewell to the others, Balin too while Dwalin made some attempt at following his best friend and elder brother’s example while trying to pretend he wasn’t looking at Ori when he said it.

 

“Thorin behaved himself, didn’t he?” Bofur cheerfully replied as their group headed back to Bag End.

 

“I’ve never seen someone take it so well when told, rather bluntly, that they’ve got a huge conker.” Gloin fondly chuckled as Eglantine, whom he was carrying, made a snuffling noise and burrowed her face deeper into his beard.

 

“It’s… promising,” Bella allowed herself to agree.

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll still keep a weather eye on him.” Kili promised.

 

“I know, Ki.  Just don’t go… overboard.”

 

“Us, overboard?  Perish the thought, auntie.”

 

“Imp.” Bella retorted for the possible hundredth time.

 

Even the looming possible problem of the Ironfist’s did not seem so bad when walking home after a very successful and very enjoyable afternoon surrounded by family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akhmânul -- Grateful / thanks (gratitude)-like / from (the) thanks (gratitude) [I used it as an... emotion filled way for saying 'thank you']
> 
> birâkini -- to accept  
> sakhmini -- to thank (the male form of the word)  
> [Bella's reply of "Birâkini sakhmini" is another invented phrase of mine, it is exact from the dictionary since we can barely call my grasp of Khuzudl nebulous. :)]


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a rainy day that sees Kili's raven return with a response to Bella's dispatch.

"Nori, get back inside this instant!" Dori yelled out the kitchen window.

 

Bella walked into the room in that moment, having missed Nori's reply from outside, but she certainly didn't miss the outraged shade of puce that Dori was currently turning.

 

"YOU DO NOT USE THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE HERE, NORI!"

 

"He's bored, Dori, going a little stir-crazy.  We all are," Bella said on her way to the pantry.

 

After the pleasant weather of the last few weeks, the clouds had rolled in the day after Thorin had met the girls and it had been raining.  And raining.  And raining.  No one had gone outside for the last 3 days save to check the mailbox.  Nori had apparently reached his limit for how long he could be held inside by the weather.

 

"That as may be, Miss Bella, but we hardly need our spymaster catching a cold or travelling with one!  And Nori is a right monster when he's ill, too!" Dori fretted as he pounded at some dough.

 

Bella shook her head a little, a small smile on her face.  A fully grown dwarrow a good ways past his majority Nori may be, but Bella had a good suspicion that Dori would always see his little brother as, well, his little brother.

 

She left Dori to his baking in the kitchen and headed back to the living room, where she'd left Thora and Eglantine (who were chafing at being kept indoors almost as bad as Nori) playing some sort of game that their cousins had concocted as a means to keep the five year olds occupied and keep their minds off their current inability to play outdoors.

 

"Alright, I've got the bag of raisins, what are we going to be doing with them?"

 

Fili grinned and caught the bag when Bella tossed it to him.  "Well, see, auntie, it goes like this..."

 

"Look who I found outside," Nori called out from the front hall several minutes later.  Bella left the parlor again and headed for the front door.

 

She was greeted by the sight of Nori dripping all over her floor, holding a waterlogged Jinivere in his hands.

 

"Oh, goodness, look at the both of you!" Bella fretted.  "Stay right there!"

 

"Don't you wanna see what she's brought back?" Nori yelled as Bella headed straight for her linen closet.

 

"Of course I do!  But you both looked like you've jumped into a lake!" Bella shouted as she grabbed an armful of towels off the shelf.

 

Bella bustled back into the front hall and made the closest dwarf (Bofur) her towel stand.

 

"Here, let's see Jinivere.  Hand her to Kili," Bella said, as Kili came forward and took his raven from Nori while Bella handed him several towels.

 

"I's we’ ou'side." Jinivere mumbled sounding very miserable, the poor dear.

 

"I know, I know.  Here, let's get you wrapped up in a nice, warm towel and set you down by the fire," Kili said, gently and loosely wrapping Jinivere up in a hand towel and carrying her to the parlor as Bella undid the oiled pouch that Jinivere had been carrying.

 

"Fili, can you go get Jinivere some grains and blueberries and a dish of water?" Kili asked as he gently set Jinivere down on the hearth and sat down beside her.

 

"'Course," Fili nodded, leaving the parlor as Bella sat down in her reading chair, unfolding the letter that had been inside the pouch.

 

"Is she gonna be okay?" Thora asked, squatting down on her haunches on the other side of Jinivere and peering up at Kili.

 

"She'll be alright, don't you fret.  Just needs to warm up and dry her feathers off and get some food in her.  And maybe a little sleep and then she'll be right as rain."

 

"What's the letter say?" Ori asked.

 

"And who's it from?" Oin wanted to know.

 

"You seriously haven't figured it out yet?" Kili snorted from the hearth as he added some more sticks to the fire and stoked it up a little bit.

 

"Why don't you enlighten us if you know, ya little sh-nickerdoodle." Oin grumped, hastily aborting and then converting the bad word he had been about to say to a less... inappropriate one, shall we say.

 

"I'll read this out loud so everyone can be informed at the same time, if you lot would like to pipe down and be quiet for a moment," Bella declared as Fili slipped back in carrying the items his brother had requested.

 

"Bella," the letter began, "This matter that you wrote of is not unknown to me.  I saw what you wrote of, but your letter put the final piece of the puzzle into place and made me understand.  I of course grant you the aid you sought from me, and send this raven back to you to give notice that a group of my best warriors is travelling to the Shire with all haste.  If things keep to the same holding pattern I have foreseen, they should reach the Shire within a week and there will be time for the Ered Luin dwarrow and my elves to provide a proper screening force to keep you and your children safe as you evacuate the Shire.

 

"And perish the thought of you and the girls being considered a burden.  You are always welcome in Rivendell and if the Ered Luin dwarrow can travel as far as the entrance to the Hidden Valley, we can help guarantee safe passage to the Misty Mountains.  And certain passages can be pointed out to your group that Lady Galadriel's people have under careful watch so you can cross the mountains unmolested.

 

"And as I recall, both girls seemed to be partial to honeyed biscuits in their infancy.  I shall make sure there's a supply of them ready and waiting for them when you arrive."

 

Bella looked up.  "And that's the end of it."

 

"He's... different." Nori said a touch derisively.

 

"He's a damn sight nicer and kinder than Thranduil, believe me." Bella promised as she folded up the note and tucked it away.  "And I'm going to have a few things to say to the most paranoid elf since Feanor, believe me.  Also, when they arrive, you will be civil to the elves both in my house and to their faces."

 

"Momma, why are we leaving the Shire?" Eglantine asked.

 

"Because... well, wouldn't you like to meet your other cousins in Erebor?  There are other dwarrow you're related to you've not met yet."

 

"Will we come back to the Shire?" Thora asked, very serious.

 

"Of course we will, don't fret!  We'll more than likely make the journey every few years so we can visit your cousins here, too."

 

"How long does it take to go to Ere- Eera-" Thora started ask, stumbling a bit over another name for the Lonely Mountain.

 

"Air-uh-bore," Fili gently prompted, slowly rolling the word out so Thora could pronounce it and get it right.

 

"Erebor." Thora said this time.  "How long does it take?"

 

"Welllllll, as long as your father isn't leading us, we'll be able to make it in four months or so," Bofur laughed, trading a high five with Kili.

 

"What's so funny?" Eglantine wanted to know as a general laughter rippled through the room.

 

"Your father, Eggs, has a _very_ bad sense of direction," Fili explained to her.

 

"Just like Thora!" Eglantine excitedly shouts.

 

"Just like." Fili agreed, wide grin in place.

 

"So, now, all we've got ta do is wait a week, and hope those pointy eared ponces make it in time." Gloin harrumphed from by the fire.

 

"Elrond has the gift of foresight, Gloin; the man is almost never wrong about a vision he has.  We'll be careful, of course, but I trust him when he says that dwarrow from Ered Luin and the elves will make it here in time and able to screen our departure," Bella valiantly defended.  "And what did I say about being civil and polite?"

 

"You said when they get here," Gloin cheekily pointed out.

 

Bella closed her mouth with a bit of a snap, realizing that Gloin was quite correct.  And probably quite happy he found that loophole.

 

"Got ya there, lass." Oin chuckled.

 

"You saucy lot." Bella muttered before cleaning up the detritus of the game that had needed raisins.  “Girls, why don’t you go play in your room for a few minutes?  Some dreadfully boring grown up talk is about to happen, wouldn’t want you to hear it and be bored to tears.” Bella gently spoke, nodding to the hallway outside the living room.

 

After one last curious glance at a water-drinking Jinivere apiece, Thora and Eglantine departed the parlor.

 

Later on, both Thora and Eglantine asked more questions about why they were leaving, could they say good bye to their friends and cousins, why did they have to go so far, and so on and so forth.  Bella did her level best to evade the questions and answer them vaguely, but in such a way that the girls' would not be _too_ curious about why their mom's answers were unsatisfactory.

 

"Why did I have to have children that were so incredibly curious?" Bella rhetorically sighed as she wandered back into the kitchen; it had taken ages to get the girls' to settle down and lay down in their beds and go to sleep.

 

"Because curiosity is a sign of a good mind," Bofur offered up, translating for Bifur.

 

"Oh, that's what the sign for 'curiosity' is." Bella said as she sat down at the table and took the offered cup of tea from Dori.  "Thank you, Dori."

 

"You understand Iglishmek?" Bofur asked.

 

"It's not hard.  Over time, if one sees a lot of the same signs repeated, you start to understand.  Like when you used this," Bella quickly demonstrated what she knew to be some exceptionally crude and graphic Iglishmek to Bofur, "on Nori the other day in front of the girls.  Not to mention when I was put on bedrest after arriving at Rivendell, I found certain books in Rivendell's library.  No one ever said I couldn't read a book about languages," Bella replied primly.

 

"Oh, we could give two epic tosses of flying eagle droppings if you do know Khuzdul," Kili declared.

 

"In fact, we'll be teaching you how to speak – and pronounce, don't hate me auntie – Khuzdul." Fili said with a cheeky grin, looking like he was ready to dive behind the nearest dwarf or piece of furniture and avoid the pillow Bella was playfully eyeing up.

 

"The only people who are going to care are the more conservative elements of dwarrow society and the older members of the council.  And those we can just give a convenient 'accidental' kick off a walkway." Kili chimed back in with a wicked little glint in his eye.

 

"Honestly, right now I am less concerned with how other dwarrow who don't know me will deal with a non-dwarf speaking khuzdul then I am keeping the peace until the bloody Ironfist's have been dealt with.  At least this time since it's a damn good possibility that they'll be a pain in the you-know-what for the rest of all our lives," Bella sighed.  "I've already got a headache just _thinking_ of it."

 

“Well, we can’t promise what the girls’ will see, but we can say for certain that they will come to no harm on the journey.  Unless they do it to themselves while playing,” Bofur said, tacking on the last sentence as an afterthought.

 

“I know that.  I’d trust the lot of you alone with them; you all know I would and I do.”

 

“Yes, and it is an honor for all of us, but you see… do you know what the word ‘shemrar’ means, Bella?” Ori asked.

 

“No.”

 

“The best translation I can come up with in common is ‘supreme protection’ or ‘supreme guard.’  It’s…  It’s been said more than once, that children are precious and sacred to dwarrow.  All children, no matter the race, are considered precious and only the worst sorts of dwarrow would hurt a child.  We might say rude things about an elf to their face or behind their back, but we would not harm their children, never.

 

“Most dwarrow will keep a general eye on any children in the vicinity, but to declare shemrar is—“

 

“It’s a pretty bloody big deal.” Gloin gruffly interrupted.

 

“Yes, thank you, Gloin.” Ori primly sniffed, again looking for a moment so like his eldest brother it was a little… disquieting.

 

“Mahal’s balls, you’re quite right, Bifur; it’s like looking in a tiny, ginger, Dori mirror.”

 

Ori took a deep breath while Nori quietly whacked a laughing Gloin over the head with a pillow.  And threw another one at Bofur.  “As I was saying, declaring shemrar on a person, on a child is a big deal.”

 

“So, I would be correct in assuming that amongst yourselves you put the girls under shemrar?”

 

“About two seconds after meeting them, yup.” Kili eagerly nodded.

 

“Okay, so let me see if I have this straight,” Bella started, resisting the urge to rub her temples; this whole ‘shemrar’ thing was a bit confusing, after all.  “Shemrar is a dwarrow… tradition, honor, guard, practice... thing, what have you, where by when it is declared it gets put out there that the person or persons under shemrar are under some serious levels of protection and this makes them… what?... untouchable unless you have a death wish?”

 

“Pretty much what it boils down to, yeah, auntie.” Fili nodded.

 

“That’s… useful-seeming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shemrar -- supreme protection (guard)
> 
> We're hitting the home stretch now and there are just a few chapters left to go. This one was more difficult to write than expected -- turns out writing for an elf is ever so much more difficult when you've gotten yourself into a thoroughly dwarrow headspace. Also, if anything in the translation of Elronds letter to Bella feels awkward or blocky or whathaveyou, it was intended that way, I promise.
> 
> As always, even if I don't say it, any comments and questions are welcome!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of fluff and a little bit of grossness in the form of sticking a worm on the hook and some dressing down -- something Dwalin desperately needs.

The several days’ worth of rain they received – which, as far as Nori was concerned, only did the crops any good – finally ended and Bella was more than happy to help organize another picnic and fishing trip.  It would be good for all of them and especially Thora and Eglantine to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

 

"Can we invite our father and the grumpy one and nice one?" Eglantine asked as she helped Kili dry the potatoes as they were handed to him from the sink by Bifur.

 

Kili enjoyed a good giggle at that one.  "Their names are Balin and Dwalin, Eglantine.  But, yes, sweetheart, if you want we can invite them." Bella placidly agreed as she poked around some fish baking in the oven.

 

"Oh, good!" Eglantine cheerfully replied, picking up a small basket of potatoes and carrying them to Dori, who deftly peeled them in a twinkling and tossed them into a pot of water waiting to go onto the stove.

 

Bella crossed the kitchen and pulled some dough she'd knocked together the night before out and slapped it on the counter and quickly started beating it into shape.

 

Food preparations continued on apace with the Thora and Eglantine and a few dwarrow floating in and out of the kitchen getting the picnic all made and packaged up and ready to go.

 

Picnic day dawned bright and lovely warm.  Bella woke up her daughters' that morning and made sure they ate their breakfast, brushed their teeth, washed their faces and helped them into their most comfortable (and favorite) dresses with a fresh pinafore to go on over top.

 

Both girls' were excited to try and do some more fishing because "Mummy makes some really yummy smoked fish for autumn!" and Bella feels that little knot that seems to have taken up residence somewhere in the region of her stomach loosen a little as their little processional wound its way along Hobbiton's windy lanes.  There was even a sighting rare as you please of Lobelia.  Bella pointed her out as they stopped at the market to purchase some more bait and fishing line from a young smile-y hobbit who had the look of a Proudfoot.

 

"Look, over there." Bella pointed with her chin.

 

"Who's that?" Kili asked as their little party's number quietly swelled by three.  Fili said hello to Balin and nodded to his uncle and cousin as a few other members of the Company quietly said hello's.

 

"Lobelia Sackville-Baggins." Bella told him, distaste coloring her face and voice.

 

"We don't like her." Thora promptly informed Kili.  "She's not nice."

 

"Yeah, me and Thora and some ovver--"

 

"'Other.'" Bella automatically corrected as she spotted a delectable looking little crate of raspberries on Odo's stand.

 

"Other." Thora repeated the word and her mother gives her a little nod as if to say 'well done' as she bought the raspberries.

 

"What did you and your nanu and some other naddan do?" Kili inquired as he sized up Lobelia from across the square.

 

"We found some tickle bugs and stuck them in her shawl.  And her apron.  And her cap."

 

"Oh, you two are indeed my cousins." Kili said with a mischievous chuckle, swooping in picking up Thora and tickling her.

 

"She was making mean remarks about Sissy Proudfoot and then we heard her say stuff about mama.  That's when we went and got the tickle bugs.  Lobelia says it was us, but she can't prove it." Eglantine elaborated.

 

"I'm going to pretend I heard none of that." Bella said to her daughter as she rejoined their group.  What Bella didn't see was the almost instantaneous glare of Durin that got turned Lobelia's way before Eglantine had finished speaking.

 

Lobelia, who Bella had her back to, turned paler than a glass of milk and beat a damned quick retreat into the closest shop to escape death glare times three.

 

"Alright, naughty little confessions aside, are we ready to go?" Bella asked, as she leaned down to wipe a smudge of dirt off Thora's eyebrow.

 

"Yes!" Both girls enthusiastically exclaimed.

 

"Oh, good morning, by the way." Bella added to Thorin and Balin, (nodding at Dwalin because she was still more than a little miffed at him) as they started off.

 

"Good morning, Bella.  Lovely morning, isn't it?" Balin spoke cheerfully, hoisting a small sack into view.  "I found these in a sweets shop.  Various candied fruits; my favorites."

 

"Ah, that would be Rose Hardbottle’s sweet shop?  She makes delectable candied fruit.  Rose even does this thing with spun honey that is divine, you must try some." Bella added after Balin's confirmatory nod.

 

They tramped along the lanes, everyone more merrily chatting about this, that and the other.  Bella and Thorin even exchanged a few polite, cautious remarks while Dwalin was the one more often than not looking like a constipated thundercloud on the walk.  So, Bella decides to be a little petty.

 

Turning to Kili (who she has been helping with his elvish as best she could, so it's not all gone to rust by the time he gets back to "his beloved," as she was called one night), Bella started, with a jerk of her head toward Dwalin--

 

"Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog."

 

"Mae, pedin i phith in aníron." Kili agreed with an evil, evil grin.  Dwalin just looked at the pair of them like they had said the absolute dirtiest, foulest thing possible.  When in truth it was a bit childish, but entirely innocent.

 

They arrive at their fishing spot and the girls practically dove into the tackle box to get their favorite baits out and on the hook.

 

Bella left them under the watching eye of their uncles, there were some sharp things in there after all, and started setting up the picnic with aid from Dori and Thorin.

 

"Mama, mama, I can't get my bait on my hook.  Will you please help me?" Thora asked, holding up hook and squirming worm.

 

"Thora, mum's not too well versed on how to get a worm on to a fish hook."

 

"Here, Thora, give it to me; I can do it." Thorin said, rising onto his knees.

 

Thora instantly swings herself in his direction, holding the worm and hook out to him.  Thorin carefully took both items from his daughter, and beckoned her closer before showing her how to do it.

 

"See, it's not so hard is it?" Thorin gently asked when Thora successfully managed to get a worm onto a second hook.

 

"Not so hard," Thora agreed, giving Thorin a hug before running off yelling "thank you!" over her shoulder.  And did Thorin ever look like a sweet loon with the wide, beautiful grin that covered his face a split second later.

 

Bella tried not to smile too broadly when she caught Dwalin signing something to Thorin as she dug the plates out of the picnic basket.  She didn't get everything, but she thought that the gist of it went "Those two are going to have you wrapped around their little fingers in no time."  Thorin's response was to pseudo-grumble and shove at his best friend.

 

"Wrestle all you like, but please don't wrestle onto the food." Bella called out as the burgeoning wrestling match showed all signs of ending up with the destruction of lunch.

 

"I'll keep you both out of the food if you so much as separate one crumb from the berry crumble I worked hard on." Dori threatened in a much more firm tone, waggling a serving spoon in the direction of his monarch and fellow Company member.

 

And again, the afternoon passes pleasantly.  Bella wished this dream could keep on going that she could pretend that trouble did not exist outside the Shire's borders.  She wished she could pretend that this was a normal thing they did frequently as friends and as family.  But, it was all just a dream and all dreams must come to an end and real life must resume its position at the fore.

 

Halfway through a ball game that Bella does not comprehend the rules of (but suspects a great deal that her daughters are making it up as they go along and changing the rules as they please), Thorin straightened up and his face took on an unpleasant scowl.  He also swore some in Khuzdul.

 

"What in Mahal's name are _they_ doing here?"

 

"They are here, Thorin, because I asked for them to be, so stop looking like someone's shoved dung down your throat." Bella started, giving him a warning look as she rose to her feet.  "And Nori agrees with me that we are going to need all the help we can get, so, for the love of the Green Lady, behave yourself or I'll hit you with her bloody shovel."

 

Bella headed straight for the approaching elves, Kili and Nori falling in on either side of her.

 

"Le nathlam hi." Bella formally greeted the group of elves as they drew level with them.

 

"Mae l'ovannen, Lady Bella." An elf who had the look of Lindir about his eyes returned the formal greeting.

 

"I am glad you have all arrived – and a day or two early to boot!"

 

"We strived to reach here as soon as possible, my lord has fond memories of your little ones as babes in Imladris." The elf who vaguely resembled Lindir answered with a smile.

 

"Do you have any reports on Ironfist movements?" Nori asked, taking a step forward.

 

"We do; I sent a few of our number to draw them off and confuse them.  Any time we can buy will be sorely needed I think."

 

"Indeed.  And I am greatly appreciative that you would be willing to coordinate with the dwarrow from Ered— excuse me, if you would, for a moment."  Bella turned around and glared her hardest at Dwalin before opening her mouth.

 

"DWALIN!" Bella roared.  "Shosh!  Maiklit!  Imimmish a'zâg, maihdiri maitkit!  Shagami azafr khuzrul.  Isbit?"

 

"Kuna." Dwalin grumbled, staring at the ground and not looking up until Thorin whacked him hard on the arm and Dwalin looked up and repeated his response.

 

"Good." Bella sniffed before turning back to the elves and a highly amused Kili and Nori.  "I am so sorry about that, now where was I?  Oh, yes!  If you and your men could—"

 

Between Bella, Kili, Nori and Arnos (as the leader of this troop of elves introduced himself as) the situation was knocked out and the bones of it established.  Nori and Kili agreed to cut their picnic short and take the elves to where the Ered Luin dwarrow had set up a base camp.  Bella went chuckling back to the Company and her friends, chuckling to herself at Kili’s surprise that she had been aware of the dwarrow circling Hobbiton.

 

“Bella,” Thorin says in a carefully measured voice, a tactic she remembers from the early days of the journey when he had been trying to not lose his temper with her, “what in the name of Mahal’s forge was that all about?”

 

“You know perfectly well what it was.  I borrowed Jinivere and sent for aid of my own to bolster the numbers of the force guarding Hobbiton.  You and Dwalin can both sulk about it if you like, but you will admit that the Ironfist’s won’t be expecting a party of two score elves working with dwarrow.”

 

“She’s got a point, Thorin.” Balin pointed out.

 

“We could’ve sent for more dwarrow.” Dwalin insisted.

 

“Yes, and leave Ered Luin with a reduced number of defenders?  Don’t be stupid.” Fili retorted.  “I’m with my aunt on this one.  When it comes to the safety of my iraknanna’ Bella does not mess around.”

 

“Are you saying—“

 

“Oh, shut up, Thorin.” Bella snapped a little bit.  “What Fili is saying is that he’s not going to let his prejudices nor his stubborn pride get in the way of keeping his family safe.”

  
“Exactly.” Fili agreed.

 

“Why are you guys arguin’?” Eglantine asked, wandering up some of Balin’s candy in her hand.

 

Before Bella could come up with a suitable response that wasn’t “Your father is being a pig-headedly stubborn ass,” Thorin knelt down so he was closer to Eglantine’s level.

 

“We were not arguing, Eglantine.  Your mother and your iraknadad were simply pointing out some uncomfortable truths to me and to Mister Dwalin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nanu -- sister  
> Naddan -- children  
> Shosh! Maiklit! Imimmish a'zâg, maihdiri maitkit! Shagami azafr khuzrul. Isbit -- Shh! Listen to me! Keep/hoard [opinions] to yourself and be silenced/quiet! Or you will not like making the mistake of making me angry. Understand? [Mahal forgive me for what is my no doubt GOD AWFUL grammar, but this phrase took me a good long while to write and I am rather fond of it now. Though it reads in English, which is my first language.]  
> Kuna -- Yes (in the NKD this form of 'yes' -- there are 2 to be specific -- is 'used to mark a affirmative answer to a negative question')  
> Iraknanna' -- Female cousins (the plural form of the word)  
> Iraknadad -- Male cousin (the singular form of the word)
> 
>  
> 
> Pedin i phith in aníron, a nin ú-cheniathog -- I can say what I wish, and you won't understand me  
> Mae, pedin i phith in aníron -- Yes, you can say what you wish. [Again, writing in elvish when I have a tenuous grasp of Khuzdul was just not going to happen so for the second line, I simply took the first half of the phrase above and added the word for 'yes' in Elvish]  
> Le nathlam hi -- formal Sindarin for 'you are welcome here'  
> Mae l'ovannen -- formal Sindarin for 'you are well met'


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Over the next few days, Bella was aware of the plans and strategies being made; she heard constant talk of it in her smial.  She didn’t involve herself in the planning, deciding that such things are better left to professionals and people who are used to fighting.  And killing.

 

So Bella went about preparations of her own.

 

One day after the arrival of the elves, Bella invited Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin to her smial and left the girls there as well under the watchful eye of their cousins and uncles.  She herself walked straight to the tailor's, located just off the market, and commissioned a few pairs of britches from Tansy Brandybuck.

 

"What sizes will you be wantin' Bella?"

 

"A few pairs small enough to fit Thora and Eglantine, maybe make them so as alterations won't be needed on the road."

 

"A few pairs big enough for the girls to grow into, easily done," Tansy absently remarked, making notes on a folio sitting on the shop's countertop.  "Planning on taking the girls on their first walking holiday?"

 

"Er... something sort of like that,” Bella answered, slightly ill at ease.

 

"Anything else you'll be wantin'?”

 

"Well, I'm thinking it'll be a right pain to walk through the wilderness in my skirts, so a few pairs for me as well."

 

"Bella, you wouldn't be plannin' on goin' off somewhere, would ya?"

 

"I am, Tansy," Bella replied in a tone that had quieted naughty young fauntlings down right quick.

 

"Eh," Tansy shrugged as she tallied up the cost on the folio, "all girls need a father and from what my brother tells me, your dwarf loves the idea."

 

"He's not my dwarf." Bella grumped in an exasperated tone.

 

"Not what it sounded like to me."

 

"Tansy, I'm going to stab you with your own shears."

 

"No, you're not," Tansy replied with a fun little smirk.  "Just to make your order definite – you'll be wantin', let's say, three or four pairs of travellin' britches for two little girls to be able to grow into; I'll toss in belts for you.  And for yourself, I'll be makin' three or four pairs of travellin' britches."

 

"Let's make it four pairs apiece for all three of us; how fast could you get that done?"

 

"Yours'll be easy – I still have your measurements on file.  The girls are.. well, they are bigger than most hobbit children their age..."

 

"That's what happens when their father is a dwarf," Bella wryly remarked.

 

"Yes, well, meant no offense at all, Bella.  I was just makin' a remark I shouldn't've, forgive me."

 

"No forgiveness needs to be given, I know you didn't mean anything ill by it." Bella said with a wave of her hand.  "Do you need me to bring the girls here so you can get measurements and then... round up for growth spurts?"

 

"That shouldn't be necessary, I should think.  Both girls are actually about the size of six to seven-year-old hobbits, so I can round up from there." Tansy assured Bella.

 

Bella paid Tansy for the britches and made a second stop at the general goods store, picking up two appropriately sized packs that would fit Thora and Eglantine just fine.

 

"Following me, eh?  Thought you would be with the others planning on how we'll leave the Shire," Bella spoke without turning around, without stopping.

 

"How'd you know I was there?" Nori asked, coming up to Bella's side and easily keeping up with her.

 

"I'm just that good," Bella coyly replied.

 

"Not gonna give up your secrets, eh?  That's alright, I can work around it."

 

"Sure, sure.  But, my question still stands: Why are you out here with me and not with the headache inducing coalition?"

 

"Well, seeing as how someone slipped out of her smial quiet as a mouse without telling anyone, I was concerned," Nori said with such insincerity (and a large grin) that Bella could not resist a shove at him.

 

"Regardless," Nori continued, his face growing grim, "until we're safely within Erebor, I don't want you to go anywhere alone and unprotected.  And I daresay Thorin would quite heartily agree."

 

"I'm not completely unprotected," Bella exasperatedly sighed, discreetly pulling her collar to one side and allowing Nori a brief peek at the chain-link mithril sparkling there under her clothes before sliding it back into place.

 

"Well, well, well." Nori gave a little nod, impressed.  "I didn't think you would've kept it."

 

"After... After a time, I saw the value in keeping it for possible use in the future.  Gandalf was not wrong when he said that if I came back to the Shire that I would not be the same."

 

"Where's the letter opener then?" Nori asked, face with a bright cheeky grin.

 

"Shut it you, that letter opener's served me well.  And it's in the smial, locked up in my mother’s glory box – the chest at the foot of my bed.  Every once in a while, I like to take it out and give it a cleaning and sharpening after the girls’ have been put to bed."

 

"You continue to surprise me, my queen.  First I find out you kept the most expensive courting present in the history of... _ever_ and then you also say you keep the sword in good working condition.  And let's not mention giving Dwalin a dressing down in his own language that he sorely needed.  Dis would have been proud.  Probably will be once one of her boys' tells her."

 

"I am no queen.  I speak as plainly to you or Thorin or Dwalin or any person I know as I would speak to a family member," Bella said.

 

Nori lets the matter drop, for now at least.  But Mahal knew, he and the others would not give up on pointing out to Bella that a queen – a dwarrow queen especially – had to be able to bellow and yell and dress down with the best of them.  And Mahal knew there were several of the conservative factions in Erebor that could use a damned good yelling at.

 

Later on, Bella had packed her pack.  She'd gotten a few clean shirts and breast bands and things for her hair.  She had also packed sewing things and her red leather book she began writing in after returning to the Shire with Thora and Eglantine.  Bella also packed her knife, flint, and medical supplies with some room left for the spare britches.  All that was left was to attach her spare blanket and find a cloak that would endure chillier temperatures.

 

"Girls, come with me to your room for a moment; Eglantine stop rolling your eyes."

 

"How'd you know what I was doin' mama?"

 

"Mama's are magical creatures and we know these things," Bella replied with a smile as she ushered the two from the room.

 

"Were you two good, today?"

 

"Yes, mama.  We played snapdragon with father and he read us books and we played with him and Fi," Thora regaled Bella with the epic battle waged with Thorin and Fili playing some kind of monsters.

 

"I almost wish I could have been there to see such a thing, but I had errands to run," Bella said as they made it to the twin's bedroom and she walked on in.  "Now, we will be leaving soon, so we must pack up some things to bring with us when we go."

 

"All my toys will _not_ fit in that pack,” Thora remarked, casting a surprisingly critical eye over the pack.

 

"We are not going to be travelling with all your toys and your sister's toys to Erebor.  First we pack clothes and things you need, like your hairbrush, and then you can pack a few toys to bring with you.  Most of all of our things will be staying here in Bag End."

 

"But mama, we don't want to go," Eglantine whined.  "Bandy Took said he'd teach me how to spit watermelon seeds really, really long ways the next time we played together!"

 

"Look, Eglantine, I know this is hard on you two.  And I wish with all my heart I did not have to uproot you and your sister and leave the Shire behind.  But... Erebor is far enough away from the Shire that... visiting will not be easy for your cousin's and father and... It's time to go back.  But never fret!  We will return here for visits every few years.  And I'm sure there are ravens that will not mind flying letters to your friends.  Think of it like a great big, grand adventure.  You'll get to explore new places, see new places and things and meet new people."

 

"Like the adventure you went on?" Eglantine asked.

 

"Yavanna, I hope not!" Bella played up her dramatic reaction.  "There was entirely _too_ much adventure going on when I went on a journey.  I think I should like to share this journey with you two and maybe even show you some of the spots, like this lovely beautiful waterfall in Imladris, I saw on my journey though."

 

Bella knew it would take time for both Thora and Eglantine to get used to this idea that the Shire would no longer be their home, she's no fool.  She knew transitioning from living somewhere with warmth, clean air, gardens, trees and green as far as the eye can see to a massive mountain of cold stone that was filled with complete strangers would be hard for them.  It was going to be hard for Bella too, because she was not too far off from her daughter's in knowing almost no one in Erebor.

 

But Bella knew having people around them that they do know and who care about them would help the transition somewhat.

 

Bella helped the girls pick out their favorite toys to bring, reassuring them over and over when they asked that the rest of their things would be sent for in time.

 

"Will we learn how to speak like Fifi and Kiki?" Thora asked Bella later on.  Bella looked up from her pack, where she'd been sewing on some strong leather straps, to attach her mother's skillet to her pack.  They'd need something to cook with on the road, after all.  And if needs must... it would serve as a blunt weapon.

 

"Of course you will.  And we'll be learning together, and won't that be fun?" Bella answered.

 

"What're you little ones worrying for?" Bofur asked, wandering into the smaller parlor Bella had been working in with his cousin in tow.

 

"What if no one likes me and Eggs?" Thora asked in a real small voice.

 

Bofur swooped in and picked Thora up before settling down on the floor next to Bella.

 

"Now you listen here, young miss.  Everyone is going to love you and your sister when we get to Erebor.  You and your sister just act like your sweet, loving selves and everything will be quite alright.  Yes, Bifur, we certainly would."

 

"What'd he say?" Thora asked, her voice still small, but not as much as before.

 

"He said that you have a whole bunch of uncles and cousins who would be more than willing to scare the pants off any silly dwarrow who would dare be mean to such sweet little things as you and your sister."

 

Thora looked at Bifur, who gave her a warm encouraging smile.  Next thing, Thora was clambering out of Bofur's lap and climbing into Bifur's to give him a hug.

 

It was the next day when Bella was going through her library and going through a huge stack of books on the table next to her.  Knowing full well she needed to pick quantity over quality in this instance, Bella picked up three volumes full of many different stories, knowing she could fit at least one in her pack and probably convince Dori or one of the lads to take the others in theirs.  Whilst pursuing her choices, she heard the sound of a light tapping – as if someone was knocking their knuckle on the door.

 

Bella turned to the source of the noise to see Dori standing in the doorway.

 

“Yes, Dori?”

 

“The… erm… group of dwarrow and elves has shown up, Miss Bella.  They say that they need to speak with you, to go over details of their plan.”

 

Bella set down the book she had been looking at; she could clearly finish that later.  “Thank you, Dori; show me to them, if you please.”

 

“Of course.  They kind of took over your dining room.”

 

“It’s no trouble at all.” Bella said, amused at Dori’s discomfited manner.  From the sounds of it, the Coalition of the Unwilling (as Bella had taken to calling it) had taken over her dining room much in the same way that the Company had all those years ago.

 

And oh good Yavanna, there was an uneasy tension in the dining room/kitchen area.  Was this going to even work?  Arnos and the leader of the dwarrow from Ered Luin, Riekki, stood when Bella entered the room.

 

“Lady Bella,” Arnos greeted her in the manner of his people – hand over his heart and a low bow.  Or, as low a bow as he could manage before hitting the table or his head on the ceiling when straightening.

 

“Zainuzbad.” Riekki respectfully intoned, making a sweeping bow.

 

“Arnos, Riekki; I was told you wish to speak with me?” Bella asked as she was seated at the makeshift table.

 

“Yes, my lady.” Arnos said quickly, jumping in before Riekki could; and the thundercloud that settled on Riekki’s face was not… good.  “My scouts have ascertained much; we’ve managed to sneak into their camp and make copies of their plans.  They made the assumption that you would be travelling the east-west road and planned to grab you here,” Arnos pointed to the edge of Bree.

 

“Just on the edge of Bree and going into Chetwood.”

 

“Yes, zainuzbad,” Riekki jumped in, not so subtly elbowing Arnos in the hip to make him move.  He then traced one of the possible routes the Ironfists could take.  “From there, we can make the assumption they’ll probably try and take you back to the Orocarni mountains.  This will mean heading south so they can bypass the elvendoms and the Lonely Mountain,”

 

“But would they make it that far?  The Orocarni mountains are deep into Rhûn.” One elf with light auburn hair raised the point.

 

“The trouble, my zainuzbad, with getting you as far as Rivendell is that they will try to mount an ambush to grab you.  And we have not just you to worry about, we have the uzbadnuthâ, as well.”

 

“Yes, the young princesses have been an… interesting piece of this puzzle.” Arnos’ lieutenant, an elf by the name of Gwanunig murmured, staring at the map.

 

“You haven’t figured out how to get them safely to Rivendell, have you.” Fili stated flatly, staring at Gwanunig down the length of his nose.

 

“ _Look at you, you got Thorin’s ‘you are displeasing’ stare down._ ” Gloin remarked in Khuzdul as Bifur started gesticulating and chattering away in ancient Khuzdul.

 

“Not a bad idea, cousin; Bifur’s got an idea if you’re open to suggestions.” Bofur stepped forward.

 

“We’re listening.” Riekki said.

 

Bofur watched his cousin’s hands move for a few moments, nodding here and there and making the occasional noise of agreement.

 

“Okay, so, Bifur’s idea is we split into two parties.  Cuz they’ll come after us all the harder once they realize there are children involved.  This coalition goes fifty/fifty with the real party and the decoy party.  The girls obviously stay with their mother and say, half of us go with them and the other half carrying two decoys made up to look like Thora and Eglantine go one way and we meet at Rivendell or after the Ironfist’s have been killed off.”

 

“That’s not a bad idea.” Riekki admitted.  “How would you split the Company?”

 

“How should I bloody know?” Bofur expostulated.  “Bella?  Any ideas?  They are your children.”

 

“Perhaps split up the princes to throw them off?” Bella suggested.

 

It took a few more minutes of debating and wrangling of overly loud or zealous dwarrow or an annoyed elf, but the group’s they’d split up into resemble this:

 

Group 1: Bella, Thora, Eglantine, Dori, Kili, Thorin, Bofur, Bifur, and Oin

 

Group 2: Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Nori, Ori, and Gloin with the dummies dressed up as the girls.

 

When the lopsided groups are pointed out by Bella, Riekki kind of just blinked at her for a moment.  He then explained that they had split the dwarrow of the Company up evenly, but had not counted _her_ amongst the number because they had kind of lumped her in with her daughters as someone who was a protectee, not a fighter.  Riekki also explained this while going increasingly red because Bella stared him down with a quirked eyebrow the whole time.

 

“It is not that we doubt your ability to fight, zainuzbad, but… women and children are precious to dwarrow since there are so few of them, and…”

 

“And he thinks you’ll acquiesce to this easier than a dwarrowdam would.” Oin loudly dropped into the somewhat stammering explanation.

 

Bella sat there after and observed and listened as they hammered out final details.  Her eye became drawn to the farther end of the table.  A dwarf with an ink black beard who did not look altogether older than Fili had been muttering and conversing with a fellow of his who had sat next to him.

 

Her ears had picked up more than one rude and derogatory comment, even if she could not understand one hundred percent of what was being said.

 

“A moment,” Bella called out.  A hush fell over the table.  “You,” She said, pointing to the ink black bearded dwarf.  “What is your name?”

 

“Erke, zainuzbad.” He answered with a polite nod of the head.

 

“Mahishki.  Galkh maihdiri.  Isbit?”

 

“Kun, zainuzbad.” Erke actually shrank back in his seat looking a little chastened.

 

It was toward the end of the meeting when Kili started nudging a crumpet that had appeared from _somewhere_ with other foodstuffs and Fili was subtly pointing out one of Erke’s fellows – a ginger dwarf.

 

So Bella tweaked her ears a bit and listened, quickly growing displeased.  Erke was not participating in the trash talking, but neither was he actively discouraging his friend from continuing.

 

The meeting broke up soon after, with all plans finalized about as well as they would ever be and at a nod from Bella, Fili called for the dwarrow stick around a few moments more.

 

That was when Bella struck.

 

While there was still some milling about and general chaos, Bella whipped the crumpet at the ginger dwarf.  Her aim was true and hits the dwarf dead center on the face, jam side down.

 

“I thought I made it perfectly clear when I called Erke out on it earlier that the frankly filthy garbage you lot spew about the elves was to cease.” Bella sat up straight and fixed the assembled dwarrow with her best stare that had made many a naughty fauntling quail.  “And I presumed it had been made clear to you before you came into _my_ smial, my _home_ , that you were to be civil to the elves as it was made clear to them to be civil to _you_.  Which, I’m going to point out, they were.  I could give a fig how much it pains you to be civil to the elves while you must work with them, but civil you will be until such time as the Ironfists are dealt with.  Or you’ll suffer worse than a jam covered crumpet to the face.  Am I making myself clear?”

 

“Yes, zainuzbad.  We hear you and we will all endeavor to be… more civil.” Riekki nodded, venturing a short bow.

 

“Does that mean we can’t say stuff in our tents?”  One dwarrow ventured to ask.

 

“No.  I don’t much care what you say about the elves in your camp.  But while you are in public with them, or I or my children are around or while you are working with them, you will be civil.  You may go now.”

 

The members of the Company took seats around the table as they opened up, waiting until the door shut and Gloin tromped back into the room and took a seat.

 

“Being a dwarrow queen is pretty much verbally or physically cowing your subjects when they misbehave or generally act stupid.  You’ll do fine in Erebor.” Fili declared, clapping Bella on the shoulder as he got up to grab a flagon of something off the window shelf.

 

“Yes, by the way, that word they kept calling me… zain-uzbad,” Bella said the word slowly, feeling out the way it sat in her mouth as she tried to repeat it correctly.  “what is it?  I’ve not heard it before.”

 

“Well, harrumph,” Gloin coughed.

 

Insert several more bouts of awkward coughing and a few pink cheeks and side eye glances.

 

“Alright, do I have to break out the skillet before you lot tell me?”

 

“Well, no, no.  No need to do anything so rash.” Bofur quickly said, eyes darting around the room as if he could find the skillet quick enough to get it away from Bella.

 

“See, auntie, it’s a title.  One of great respect.” Kili explained, he seemed a bit shifty about it though.

 

“I gathered that much.” Bella said, voice dripping with dry sarcasm.  “What does the word itself translate into common as?”

 

It was almost like she was pulling teeth, trying to get the common translation of this word.  At last Nori was the one who spoke up.

 

“It… It, uh… It means ‘queen.’” Nori answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Zainuzbad -- Queen  
> Uzbadnuthâ -- Princesses (plural form of princess)
> 
> 1Mahishki. 2Galkh maihdiri. 3Isbit? -- 1Watch! [As in 'Watch it!']   
> 2Good be contained [as in behave/be on good behavior]  
> 3Understood?
> 
> Kun -- Yes (an affirmative answer to a positive question)
> 
>  
> 
> *I pored over the Neo-Khuzdul Dictionary and there was NO word for queen, so I made one. 'Zainuzbad' translates literally as 'female king' -- Zain is in singular form and means 'female.' Uzbad is in singular form as well and translates as 'king.'


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin does a thing and is not Subtle in apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shosh -- shh  
> Amad -- mother  
> Zainuzbad -- queen

Bella put her fingers to her temples and rubbed them slowly.  “I’m going to kill him.  Slowly.  Fili, start planning your coronation.”

 

“Fat bloody chance!” Fili declared.

 

“I’m going to go back to my library and I’m going to finish looking at my books and maybe or maybe not contemplating which of them I’m going to throw at your uncle.”

 

Bella lets the sight of the books in her library, the smells of the pages and the glue in the bindings – familiar smells from her youth and her life – calm her down.  By the time she emerged from the library with the books that will accompany them to Erebor, Bella is still mightily annoyed with Thorin making some very large presumptions.

 

Ori, it turned out, was more than willing to take the two other volumes that would not fit in her own pack, so after Bella'd left them with him, she decided to go and check on how the girls are doing.  And in so doing she passes by the cabinet built-in to the wall of the hallway where she keeps various medical supplies for ease of access.  Bella remembered a moment earlier in the day when she had said to herself 'remember to get this, that and the other' out of the medicine cabinet.

 

So, Bella opened the double doors and pulled out the extra rolls of bandages and the materials to make this medical ointment she had had to apply to the girls' when they had a chest cold two winters past.  Bella noticed a smaller box on the top shelf, a box of tea leaves to help ease the pain of her courses and she pulled it down to her.

 

"Might as well bring this," Bella mumbled to herself, taking her accrued supplies back to her room to place in her pack.  She lets the supplies tumble out of her arms onto her bed before hauling her pack onto her bed to start putting items into various pockets.  And in the packing, Bella accidently jostled the box of tea and knocked it the ground; the force of impact popping the box open.

 

Bella isn't unduly worried, because the tea is in individual packets and not loose, until in picking up the box there is a distinct clink of metal on her wooden floor.

 

"What in the world?" Bella whispered, bending down to retrieve the item.

 

"Ohhhhhhh," Bella sighed in recognition.  It was her old ring.  The one she found in the tunnels under the goblin kingdom during the quest to reclaim Erebor.  _Isn't it funny,_ Bella thought as she turns it this way and that and watched it twinkle in the light of her lamps, _I haven't thought of this old ring since moving back to the Shire.  In fact I had forgotten it existed, really._   Bella studied it for a few moments longer before sticking it back into the box it had been in and tidying up the tea and stowing said box in her pack.

 

It was the next day that Bella went to Tansy's to pick up the completed britches, more than pleased with the quality of the workmanship.  And on the return trip to Bag End, Bella spotted Thorin exchanging a few words with (a frankly terrified-looking) Hamfast.

 

"Good morning, you two!  Or should I say afternoon?" Bella politely greeted them as she walked up.

 

"Oh, hello, Bella.  How do you do?" Hamfast quickly asked, the relief on his face blatant as he lifted his hat to her.

 

"Quite well, quite well.  So, what were you two speaking of?  This fine day, perhaps?"

 

"Actually, I was asking Mister Gamgee about his expertise on drought and the plants that would stand up well to it.  I recalled you mentioning that," Thorin said, stepping in.

 

"So I did.  So I did." Bella placidly agreed.  "Oh, Thorin; I was wondering if I might have a word.  Would you stop by Bag End in, say, about an hour or so?"

 

"I would be delighted," Thorin agreed with a polite bow.

 

"Good, good.  Well, gentleman, I shan't stick my nose into your conversation any longer.  Have a good day."

 

Bella finished her walk home, meeting Nori as he checked her mail box.

 

"Where are the girls?"

 

"In the library.  Ori's reading some dwarrow fairy tales to them."

 

"Good, good.  In about an hour Thorin's going to be coming by; would you and the lads take the girls on a walk?  Just for a bit."

 

"What are you going to do?" Nori asked with a slightly salacious grin.

 

"Nothing like what you're thinking, you pervert." Bella said, aiming a swat at the back of Nori's head.  "I'm simply going to have a chat with him.  And maybe throw something at him." Bella muttered to herself as she passed into the smial.

 

Thorin arrived on time and was shown into Bella's study by a polite if coldly civil Bofur.  Bofur went away laughing his head off as Thorin ducked a quite solid tome thrown straight at his head; only years of having things thrown at him by his nephews and Dwalin saved him from taking " _Full Lessons on Etiquette and How to Properly Behave Oneselves in Polite Hobbit Company_ ," (The bane of her existence as a fauntling and tween and it was honestly the most boring book in existence in Bella's opinion – and that included any and all law books) to his face.

 

"What was that for?!" Thorin exclaimed.

 

"What do you think it was for?!" Bella yelled back.  "'Zainuzbad,' Thorin?  Really???"

 

"Bofur, what in the name of Mahal are you doing?" Ori whispered as he turned down the hall to see his friend crouched down with his ear practically glued to the keyhole.

 

"Bella's rippin' Thorin a new one about the whole 'zainuzbad' thing." Bofur quietly chuckled, beckoning Ori closer.  "C'mere, have a listen."

 

"This is so impolite!"

 

"Yeah, well, Nori's in the verge under the window listenin' in on the pair of 'em; least I can pretend I dropped somethin' in the hallway.  Now, shosh!" Bofur hissed, reapplying his ear to the keyhole as Ori gave a suffering sigh and joined him on the ground.

 

"We are going to be skewered alive by the both of them if they catch us." Ori whispered.

 

"Shaddup." Bofur whispered.  "Bella's dressing him down just as hard as she did Dwalin and I wanna listen!"

 

"Thorin, you cannot _do_ something like this – telling those dwarrow to address me as their queen – without consulting me first!"

 

"Well, you are their queen; those dwarrow all have Lonely Mountain blood in them."

 

Bofur chuckled as the loud thunk of a book making contact with the bookcase, or possibly Thorin, sounded.

 

"I don't give a flying shit if they had the blood of Mahal himself in them; you do not _do_ something like that _without asking_ the person concerned!  I could have given a toss if I was made to look a fool if I had asked them what the word they were saying to me meant, but telling them to address me as their queen without asking how I felt about it is, in the very least, highly bloody presumptuous!!!"

 

"I've got twenty gold on Bella sending him back to the inn with 'now go and think about what you've done and when you come back I want an apology.'" Ori whispered.

 

"You're on." Bofur agreed, giving Ori's hand at a quick shake to cement the bet.

 

And not even five minutes later, Bofur and Ori are booking it down the hallway to hide in the nearest room (the bathroom) and Bofur's handing over twenty gold pieces to Ori.

 

"Bella reminded me of me old mum, just then." Bofur huffed, smiling.  "That dwarrowdam could you make feel like the heel of the world and the naughtiest little dwarfling that ever lived by dressing you down and sending you off to you room _just like that_."

 

"It's rather... terrifying." Ori admitted, sticking his head out into the hall to see if the coast was clear.  "We're good to go; I remember the only time Dori made Nori feel bad about his thieving was when I was a little dwarfling and he had left me behind to go and knick something and oh... the blistering Nori's ears received...  I'll never forget it."

 

"Doubt Nori has, either." Bofur nodded as they headed back up the hall and knocked on the closed study door as if they hadn't just been eavesdropping outside it.

 

"So... how are we?" Bofur cheerfully (if perhaps a _tad_ forced) inquired.

 

"I'll... I'll be fine.  I was just annoyed with Thorin, that's all." Bella reassured.

 

"A fairly normal response when dealing with our often exasperating monarch." Bofur sagely replied.

 

"Which books did you throw at him?"

 

" _Ori_ ," Bofur groaned as he facepalmed.  "You do not ask someone something like that!"

 

"I heard the verge moving a time or two," Bella said with a slight twinkle in her eye, "and while I heard nothing in the hall outside, I wouldn't have been at all surprised to find out you had been eavesdropping or any of the Company who had stayed behind had been eavesdropping." Bella crossed the room and picked up the two volumes from where they had fallen.

 

"That first one looks... like a doozy all on its own." Bofur remarked as he gingerly lifted up the cover to take a peek inside.

 

"The bane of my existence as a child let me tell you." Bella told him with a grimace at the cover.  "But those lessons have ended up serving me well in my latter years."

 

"Oh, so you mean to say the book – that looks like the ink was created from the tears of boredom shed by tiny hobbits, by the way – says it is in fact okay to throw this book and anything else one deems appropriate at an infuriating person?" Bofur teased.

 

"Yes, well, it was a gift from my least favorite aunt on her birthday.  I think my mother would in fact be alright with me throwing things upon occasion.  I'm sure she would have joined in herself at some point," Bella said with a fond grin.  "Now, I must go get lunch on the go or when the girls and lads return I'll have a mutiny on my hands."

 

It is at dinner time, in full view of the Company and Thora and Eglantine that the Arrangement arrived.

 

Bella had answered the knock on her door, mightily confused and wondering what on earth it could possibly be at this hour of the day.  At first Bella couldn't even see who it was, this massive arrangement of flowers blocking her view of the delivery hobbit and vice versa.

 

"Er... Paddy Chubb, is that you?"

 

"Indeed it is, Miss Bella.  Could you... ergh... direct me to the nearest flat surface so I can put this down, please?"

 

"Oh!  Certainly, certainly!  Come in, come in, quickly!" Bella waved Paddy in and directed him to her mother's glory box where Paddy set the Arrangement down with a grateful noise that was equal parts sigh and groan.

 

"Why did you bring that... massive arrangement of flowers out here to me, Paddy?"

 

"I stopped in to order some flowers for Daisy Brownlock and Lark Boffin asked if I could bring this to you; her delivery boy was out on his rounds."

 

"Oh, that is very, very kind of you.  Could I perhaps offer you some tea and raspberry scones for your trouble?"

 

"I'll have to decline the tea, I'm afraid; mother's expecting me at the smial.  But I'll not say no to a few scones for the road, if you don't mind."

 

And in no time at all, Paddy is sent off with several of the raspberry scones made at lunch wrapped up in a clean handkerchief.

 

"Wowwwwww," Thora and Eglantine intoned with awe when they sneaked a peek at the Arrangement.  "Who sent you that, momma?"

 

"I do believe it was your father." Bella absently said as she studied the flowers making up the Arrangement.  "He does not do small.  Or subtle."

 

Kili snorted.  "This is Thorin we're talking about.  He's not been subtle a day in his life.  So, auntie, what do the flowers say?"

 

"It's... an apology." Bella said as she pulled a snowdrop blossom and one of heliotrope out of the display and tucked them behind the ear of her daughters, a favorite of each girl.

 

"I'll be buggered," Bofur quietly said as he walked up and the girls were ushered back to the table to finish their meal by Gloin and Ori.  "He actually thought it out, didn't he?"

 

"It... certainly seems that way, doesn't it?"

 

"So, what do they say?  Or is it too personal a thing to ask?" Fili chimed in, casually leaning against the wall next to the Arrangement and giving it a once over.

 

"Well... The purple hyacinth is the most straightforward bit of this, really.  They quite literally mean 'please forgive me.'  The chervil here, this leafy green stuff, it's an herb but it also means sincerity.  The raspberry blossoms and hawthorn blossoms mean remorse and hope respectively; and the snapdragons there mean presumption.  So, these flowers grouped together could be read as Thorin is apologizing for his presumptions earlier and telling me that he now feels remorse about them and is sincere in his apology and he hopes I believe that.  Or forgive him."

 

"What about these ones?" Dori asks, pointing.

 

"The hazel means reconciliation and the aster means patience.  So, I could interpret that as Thorin wishing to reconcile our... verbal disagreement – "Fight," Nori coughed into his hand before dodging Bella's kick.  "And that he's asking for me to try and be patient with him," she finished as if she hadn't been cheekily interrupted.

 

"And what of this last one?" Oin wanted to know, pointing to the heliotrope.

 

"Ah, the heliotrope.  It, uh, it means 'devoted affection.'" Bella awkwardly responded, her cheeks coloring as she goes on.

 

"You hobbits and your secret flower code." Nori chimed in again with a fond shake of his head.  "That could be dead useful back in Erebor, though."

 

"It's not a hobbit secret, Nori.  And Kili, stop making those faces, or so help me you're doing the washing up for the next three weeks."

 

"Ah, but we leave the day after tomorrow." Kili cheekily reminded Bella.

 

"Well, then I'll defer it to you do the dishes for three weeks when we get back to Erebor.  And I'll tell your mother about it so stop making such silly faces!"

 

"And you know amad will tack on at least another three weeks of doing the washing up or she'll tack on three weeks of you throwing out the slurry water from the forges." Fili cheerfully reminded his younger brother.

 

"Fine, I'll stop, but still..." Kili said with a grin.

 

"How did Thorin figure all this out anyway?"

 

"Ten to one he either went into a bookseller's and found a book about the language of flowers or he walked into Lark's little store and had her help him pick out the appropriate flowers." Bella pointed out.

 

And the round of "Oh, yeah," makes Bella laugh as she picks up the massive pot of flowers and carried them to the dining room table.

 

"Poor girl must have been terrified when Thorin walked into her shop." Nori smirked as Bella pulled out one of each flower in the arrangement, the girls following her and watching their mother (as they had watched the exchange with much amusement) to see if the fun would continue.

 

"The flowers are pretty." Eglantine says as Bella pulled a thick volume off the shelf and started putting the flowers in it.

 

"They are indeed." Bella replied, giving Eglantine a smile as she finished up and put a ribbon marker into an unoccupied page, leaving it to trail over the binding as she replaced it on the shelf.

 

"Why did you do that, momma?" Thora wanted to know.

 

"Because that very pretty arrangement won't last forever, sweetheart.  So, I took one of each of the flowers and such in the arrangement and I'm going to press them in this book."

 

"What does that do?" Eglantined chimed in with her question.

 

"Well, it will take awhile, but eventually these flowers will be pressed flat and be dried and I'll be putting them in a book."

 

"And keep them?" Eglantine asked.

 

"And keep them." Bella repeated.  "It's a nice thing to look back at in later years.  Now, come on, shall we go and play in the back garden for a little while?"

 

Bella and her daughters' play in the back garden for most of that afternoon, the simple games of childhood distracting them from the fact that they'll be leaving the only home they remember having in only two days.

 

Bella writes a few notes that evening before going to bed while sitting on the couch in her parlor, Thora using her thigh as a pillow.  Just a note or two specifying a few things and asking for this or that to be done.  One note is written to Drogo about the things she wishes to keep that she's leaving behind – everything else he's more than welcome to.  Another to her lawyer asking him to please keep an eye on any of her remaining financial obligations and the one's she has signed over to her cousin.  And a third to Hamfast asking him to please look after her garden.

 

"It's odd, you know, thinking that this is the last time I'll be in this house for... awhile." Bella quietly said aloud on the last night.

 

She was standing looking into the flames merrily crackling away in the library's fireplace.

 

"You worried about Erebor, auntie?" Fili asked, looking up from the book he'd been leafing through.

 

Bella let out a quiet snort.  "Any hobbit in their right mind – and most would say that I am not because hobbits do NOT move across Middle Earth – would be worried about moving to a mountain of _stone_.

 

"We need air.  Sunshine.  Open ground to roam and ramble and garden and grow things in.  We need to feel the earth beneath our feet and inbetween our toes.  Erebor is a mountain, you can't deny that sunshine and open ground, at the very least, is in short supply in Erebor."

 

"Well, no," Fili admitted.  "But, I know great-grandmother had a very large terrace garden somewhere in the royal wing.  My amad used to tell me and Ki stories about it when we were little.  I'm sure that could be repaired and... outfitted?  If you want, of course.  And it's not like you'll be trapped inside the mountain all of the time.  I'm sure Thorin will try and make you go to Mirkwood instead of him from now on.  And, honestly, that might be better for the kingdom."

 

"I don't know, I have a few things I would like to take Thranduil to task for.  But that is neither here nor there right now since Erebor is months away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work on the Naddan 'verse is a bit on the shelf at the moment. I'll be finishing this story and I'll be able to post at least the first chapter of the second installment sometime soon. The reason being is I'm not going to have a lot of time to work on the series because my mother fell last Thursday and broke her arm (her writing hand), so there's not a lot she can do for herself right now and I'm looking after her and helping her out. I'll be posting, but until my mom's arm is significantly more healed, it will be slow.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Road goes ever on and on, Out from the door where it began.  
> Now far ahead the Road has gone, Let a journey new begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an edited to suit my purposes piece of 'The Road Goes Ever On' from The Return of the King. I thought it fitting because it's said by Bilbo in the book.

It is the black of night when the gentle light of a candle and someone gently but insistently shaking Bella's shoulder and telling her it's time to wake up.

 

"Iss s'ill dark ou'side, go 'way." Bella sleepily muttered, ineffectually shoving at the hand and trying to roll over.

 

"Bella, you need to wake up and get ready to go.  The dwarrow and elves will be here soon."

 

"Tha's t'dah isn' i'?"

 

"Yes," the voice answered, sounding amused and fond in the same tone.

 

"Bugg'r." Bella muttered, finally opening her eyes and seeing a smiling but tired around the edges Fili standing there, holding a steaming mug in one hand.

 

"I dunno if Thora gets her non-morning person personality from Thorin or you." Fili said with a smile, handing the mug to Bella.  "Some tea."

 

"Thanks," Bella sleepily muttered, mustering the will to lift her head up and take the mug from Fili.

 

"Aaah, that's better." Bella sighed after taking the first sip.  "Who's waking up the girls?"

 

"That would be Nori and – Kili," Fili answered, dragging out his brother's name while his brow furrowed in confusion as both he and Bella turned their heads in the direction of a muffled yelp.

 

"I'll go sort it," Bella sighed, pushing herselff off her bed and heading down the hall in the direction of the yelp.

 

Bella walked into Eglantine and Thora's bedroom to see Nori holding his hand to his chest while Kili is sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth and laughing so hard it's coming out silently.  "What is going on here?"

 

"She bit me!" Nori denounced, pointing at Thora who was sitting in Kili's lap looking grumpy.  "Went to wake 'er up and she sunk her teeth into me!"

 

"Thora Sefa, why did you bite Nori?"

 

"He woke m'up." Thora defiantly (and sleepily) mumbled.

 

"That is no reason to bite someone.  You know today's the day we start travelling and we're having an early start of it.  Now, young lady, you need to apologize to Nori.  And, Kili, stop laughing or you'll only encourage them."

 

"But it's hilarious!" Kili gasped.

 

Bella couldn't resist the urge and cuffed Kili on the back of the head.  "It is not proper behavior for hobbits, you troublemaker.  Now, you lot go get a start on some sort of breakfast and I'll get Eglantine and Thora dressed."

 

When Fili, Kili and Nori leave the room, it's a matter of a few minutes to get Eglantine and Thora into their new travelling outfits.  Though the dressing occurs with a little rebellion in the form of Eglantine being stubborn about putting on trousers ("I want to wear my red dress, mummy!") and Thora not wanting to put the particular pair of trousers on that Bella had picked the other day ("I want to wear the leaf trousers!").  But with patience and a little cajolling, Bella gets her two girls dressed and their hair brushed and braided back and sends them off to the kitchen for their breakfast before attending to herself.

 

Bofur was manning the fry pan and slid Bella a plate of fresh eggs and bacon and tomatoes and sausage when she walked into the kitchen.

 

"So, what are you gonna do with all the food left in the pantry and cold storage?" Bofur asked as Bella tucked in.

 

"Drogo's welcome to it; I've written a note letting him know that he's welcome to take up immediate residence in Bag End the moment I shut the door and he can do what he likes with this place.  And if he wants to restock the pantry and sundry to his tastes to parcel out the food and give it to some of the less well-off hobbits nearby."

 

There was a knock on the door; three gentle raps that had Ori heading for the front door.  In short order he was back in the dining room and trailing in after him were Arnos, Riekki, and their own lieutentants.

 

“Lady Bella.” Both dwarf and elf greeted her, inclining their heads in greeting.

 

“Good morning.  Tea?  It’s peppermint.” Bella offered.

 

“No, thank you, my lady.  We are eager to be on the way, as we are sure you are.” Riekki politely declined.  “We’ve brought the decoys of the uzbadnuthâ and cloaks that match theirs; all we need is clothing of theirs to put on them.”

 

“I’ll just be a moment.”  Bella flits off to the girl’s room and grabs a pair of skirts, little tops and some old pinafores.

 

“Will these do?” Bella asked, walking back into the dining room.

 

“They’ll do rather neatly.” Riekki said as Arnos’ lieutenant took the clothing from Bella.

 

In a matter of moments both decoys (carved out of wood, with moveable limbs and all) have been clad in Thora and Eglantine’s clothes and clad in the cloaks.

 

A few more minutes (and a few last minute trips to the bathroom) sees breakfast finished and the girls put into their brand new cloaks, hanging tightly to their mother’s hand.

 

“Now, just remember, this is all going to be a grand adventure.” Bella said as they filed out of Bag End, picking up their packs.  “You’ll get to see new things and meet new people and go farther then you’ve ever done.  And you needn’t fret about not seeing your friends again; I promise we’ll visit the Shire every so often.”

 

“So you just wipe those sad little twists off yer faces or I’ll be forced to tickle ya!” Bofur jokingly threatened as he picked Eglantine up and set her in the saddle of the pony before he swung himself up into the saddle behind her.

 

“And we’ll be there every step of the way!” Kili promised as Fili placed Thora on Kili’s saddle in front of him, gently directing her to hold onto the pommel.

 

“s’too early.” Eglantine yawned as Bella was helped up into the saddle by Bifur and Gloin.

 

“That is a downside to travel, I’m afraid.” Balin agreed, hiding a massive yawn behind his gloved hand.  “Well, shall we head out onto the road?”

 

And, just like that, the troupe of ponies bearing Bella, her children, and the Company started off.  They picked up the rest of the coalition just outside of Hobbiton, scouts from both sides confirming that the Ironfists were nowhere near Hobbiton proper.

 

There’s quiet chatter as they navigate the lanes and roads and head toward the edge of the Shire; a few of the men trade jokes and even the more amiable dwarrow and elves share a joke amongst each other.  Thora and Eglantine eventually wake up enough to look at the world around them and start asking questions of Bella, Thorin, Bofur, Kili and anyone it might strike their fancy to ask.  Bella is pleased: she had been worried that her children had enough hobbit in them to not be well pleased with leaving behind the Shire and travelling.  But it seems she has naught to worry on.

 

“Momma,” Thora asked, how long will it take to get Mister Elrond’s house?”

 

“If all goes well, sweetling – and nothing happens – it should take us about a month.”

 

“But that’s so far _awayyyyyy_.” Eglantine complained.

 

“No one much enjoys travelling for a long time, Eglantine.  That’s why your mum brought books.  And allowed the two of you to pack some of your toys.” Thorin joined in.

 

“Oh.  That makes sense.”  Eglantine allowed, her tone and the look on her face at such adult logic making Thorin smile.

 

A day of easy riding sees them gaining Bree; but since there is absolutely no way in the name of Eru and all the gods that a group of a dozen dwarrow accompanied by a hobbit and two small children will go unnoticed, the Coalition of the Unwilling and the Company agree that forsaking Bree is for the best.

 

Not that that stops Kili and Nori from sneaking off into the town to purchase some treats to be eaten on the road.  The admonishment from Thorin was totally worth it, Kili said to Bella later on as he handed her a sack of mixed nuts.

 

“And it’s not like he can scare me with that look anymore.  I’m not twenty anymore,”

 

The real problematic portion of the journey thus far (to Bella) is when they split up after circumventing Bree.  The first group, the one Bella and the girls are in, is to take the more direct route to Rivendell – the East-West road.  While the second group is going to take the Andrath Greenway and cut across the South Downs, if they must, to link back up with the first group at the Last Bridge.

 

“Watch out for the barrow wights; I’ve heard nasty stories about them.” Bella cautioned the second group as they start down the Greenway.

 

“We’ll be careful, auntie, don’t you worry!  And behave yourself, Kili!” Fili called, turning in the seat of his pony so he could wave.

 

“Oi!  I’m not the one who’s got to watch his big ol’ nose!” Kili yelled back, he and his brother trading insults until Fili’s voice disappeared around the bend.  Kili clicked his tongue to get his pony moving; the others had gotten a bit farther ahead.

 

The tension grew each day an ambush did not happen.  Everyone was rigid and grew more so at each watch change when no one, be they dwarrow or elf, reported no signs of anything suspicious.  Thora and Eglantine reacted to this foreign atmosphere by becoming ever more quiet and sticking very close to their mother or a dwarrow they were familiar with.  Bella found herself thumbing the hilt and guard on Sting, who she had secured to her waist practically as an afterthought before leaving Bag End.  But now, following the shape of the hilt or running her fingers along the guard as they all sit around an evening campfire, it is a comfort.

 

“D’you still remember how to use that letter opener?” Balin had gently joked one night when he’d caught her tracing the shape of the pommel stone.

 

“I’ve some idea, yes.” Bella replied, her smile taking the sting out of the words.  “Though it’s not like I’ve had much time for practice these last few years.”

 

“Eh, we can remedy that on the road back to Erebor when it’s a more… agreeable atmosphere.” Balin said around his pipe, smiling at Bella.

 

They are nearly two weeks on the road and just getting to the plains surrounding Weathertop – something all the dwarrow and elves were more than a little nervous about and for good reason.  Just because the enemy host was broken upon the slopes of Erebor does not, unfortunately, mean they are totally eradicated.

 

It was the first night they camped within sight of Weathertop, though it still was rather far off in the distance and they were still in the foothills with tree cover and all that, that Bella felt she was at her most strained.

 

They may have had a ring of dwarrow and elves moving around them and screening their advance as they traveled, but every indication in every intelligence report suggested that it was upon this road that the Ironfists intended to make their move.  And it would not be too much longer before they entered lands under the protection of Rivendell.  So… unless the Ironfists possessed complete rocks for brains (which was indeed possible) they would have to try to take Bella soon.

 

It was in those grey hours before dawn, when everyone would have been at their most vulnerable, in their deepest states of sleep, that they struck.

 

The warning string of bird whistle signals had Bella’s eyes open and her sitting up in an instant.  And then the war cries came as weapons were unsheathed and grasped tightly as the Ironfists tried to swarm the campsite.  Bella saw Dori grab Thora and make a grab for Eglantine, but in the confusion of the quickly escalating fighting, he missed and she ran the opposite direction, terrified out of her wits and screaming for her mother.

 

And in the half moment before Bella started to move to grab her child and keep her safe, her heart stops and her blood goes cold.

 

A distinctly foreign, dirty and smelly looking dwarrow sees Bella, looks to Eglantine and gets this most evil, blood curdling look on his face and he drew a wicked, jagged knife from his belt and advanced on the crying Eglantine.

 

Bella lets out a roar that should have rightly put the fool on his guard, but doesn’t because he clearly doesn’t consider her a threat.  She grabbed the first thing she laid a hand to, the skillet that had been laid out for breakfast, and rushed the dumb sod, swinging it like she had been swinging warhammers all her life.

 

“YOU STAY-“ The first whack sent the knife flying from the dwarrow’s now limp hand, “THE HELL-“ the second whack broke his nose, sending blood practically flooding into his beard, “AWAY FROM MY _DAUGHTER_!” The third whack was to the dwarrow’s forehead, sending him to his knees and Bella (in the part of her mind not currently consumed with motherly rage) is also fairly sure that on the fourth whack – which connected with the side of the head – she cracked his skull as he dropped to the ground and did not move.

 

Bella dropped the skillet the nanosecond she was sure he was dead, rushing to Eglantine, who was rushing toward her mother, and beats a tactical retreat under arrow fire from a furious Kili.

 

Dori boosted Bella and Eglantine up into a nearby tree with thick branches and leaf cover and stood guard at the base of it, feet firmly planted and bolos in hand ready to fly and take out the first stupid sod who thought he could best Dori.

 

It felt like hours but could not have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes that the skirmish lasted.  All the while, Bella watched through the trees, remembering at last that Sting was at her hip and she would have jumped back into the fray if any of her extended family had appeared to be in the least bit of danger.

 

Eglantine clung to Bella as a cat would cling to anything to avoid going into the bathtub as she climbed down once the skirmish was for certain over.  Thora had no problem with throwing herself out of the tree and into Dori’s waiting arms before immediately suctioning herself to her mother as her sister had, crying.

 

Thorin was the first to make it over, followed closely by Kili as Bella tried to soothe her poor, terrified children.

 

“It’s alright, sweethearts.  I know that was scary but you two were so very brave and mum is so very proud of you.” Bella said over and over as Thorin knelt on the ground and added his own voice to the soothing.

 

“I know what you saw was scary, but you two were brave, your mother is right.  And you both needn’t worry, you are protected; by us all and not the least your most ferocious mother, who wielded a skill with deadly accuracy.” Thorin reached up a careful hand and smoothed the hair on both Thora and Eglantine.

 

“Yeah, I’m now doubly certain to never make your mum mad enough to chase after me with a skillet; she’d scramble my brains and probably cook a delicious meal afterward – that’s proper cold-blooded angry mum, that is.” Kili added his two cents, smiling when both Bofur and Oin cuff him on the head.

 

In the time it took to get the girls to calm down and soothe their fears, the dwarrow and elves have gathered the bodies of the dead (which numbered two score) and dug a shallow mass grave to bury them in instead of leaving them to rot.

 

Not that Bella sees any of this happen.  Sitting behind a useful clump of bushes, she rocked a still slightly trembling Eglantine to sleep, one small hand clamped down on Bella’s waistcoat.  Thora sits sprawled in Kili’s arms, sleeping too, but holding on to a fair chunk of Thorin’s hair (who doesn’t seem to mind).

 

“I wish they hadn’t had to see that.” Bofur morosely mumbled, whittling a piece of wood.  He glared critically at it before shaving off a tiny piece of wood.

 

“I feel much the same, but I cannot protect them forever from such dangers.  Though I am glad that things did not…  I only hope this does not traumatize them in some unforeseen way.”

 

“They can learn weaponry if they wish when they’re older.” Thorin suggested.  “It could help with any lingering doubts; and if they’re inclined to blunt weapons like their mother…”

 

“Oh, shut it you.” Bella replied, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at Thorin as Kili quietly sniggered.

 

“It definitely runs in the female line of your family to wield the cooking things as weapons.” Bofur added without looking up at Bella as he took another divot out of the wood in his hands.

 

Bella let out an unladlylike snort.  “Any mother, no matter the species, goes into a homicidal rage when her children are in danger – no exceptions.”

 

“And the Ironfists learnt that today to their sorrow.” Kili fiercely whispered.

 

Bella nodded in agreement and looked at the dwarrow sitting with her as she heard distant sounds of the others.  This was her family.  This was going to be her life now.  Whether or not things… worked out with Thorin… Bella was going to be living in a rough and tumble environment that was not exactly for the weak-constitution.  And she would be a liar if she didn’t own to it that she was a little excited for the laughing, loving, crying and everything else that lay ahead.  She would have to figure out how best to raise her two daughters in a new world, she would be learning right alongside them in some instances, and wouldn’t that be exciting?

 

Though she was little versed on what lay ahead of her and what awaited her at journey’s end, Bella was ready to face it, learn from it and grow, as any of Yavanna’s people did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we come to the end of the first story I've finished in a damn long while. I'd like to thank my beta, TrtlTot, for putting up with all the tensing errors I hadn't realized I'd worked into my work. And thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on this, give kudos or bookmark. Every little bit was very much appreciated and I hope you enjoyed this story!

**Author's Note:**

> I'll start using the space in the forthcoming chapters to leave little notes about Khuzdul words I use and what they mean.
> 
> Edit: This work is beta'ed by the lovely TrtlTot. Thank you for being patient with me my lady! :D


End file.
